Harry Potter and the Pack of Shadows
by Azteka
Summary: “He is my son as well, and as long as he is alive, I am content.” He paused as he looked at his new child and truly smiled for the first time since the loss of his own family many years ago, “Harold James PotterHaijime, Lord of the Northern Lands.”
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: The names of the Harry Potter characters and the settings of the Harry Potter world belongs to JK Rowling. Any and all similarities between characters to other known characters also belong to their respective creators and owners. However, a few of the original characters belong to me alone; including the _youm'-lingua_, demon language. Any and all constructive criticisms and questions in regards to this story would be greatly appreciated and welcomed. And without further ado, I proudly present my story _Harry Potter and the Pack of Shadows._ Enjoy! - Azteka**

Prologue: A Shadow's Birth

The Children's Ward was quiet and peaceful, but then that was to be expected at two in the morning. However, either asleep or awake Doctor Haijime always enjoyed the children's presence. Their presence gave the handsome doctor peace and solstice in what he had lost. Smiling Doctor Haijime checked on his patients one last time before heading home. Each of his patients slept soundly and without a care in the world; his smile reached his eyes. Yes, he believed he made the right choice in coming to Saint Catherine's Children's Ward. He found his salvation among the innocents here, and he found his purpose to keep on living.

Suddenly the small hairs on the back of his neck trickled onto its ends. Doctor Haijime frowned as his honey-brown eyes narrowed. What dared to disturb _his _patients? The dark room revealed that his patients were safe, at least for moment. Quietly he stepped out of the room, allowing his eyes to adjust to the bright lights of the corridor. He scanned the area. His frown deepened when he spotted no threat to his children.

A wave of desperation flooded the gentle doctor's heart like a tsunami. Clutching his chest, Doctor Haijime fell to one knee. His heart and mind raced at what could have produce an emotional wave so intense that it could bring _him_ down. Ignoring the young nurses and attendants, he closed his eyes and opened his mind to single out the source. The wave came again with greater intensity then before. _A young woman._ Doctor Haijime sensed and frowned, _But not just her; her mate as well. Strong, both of them._ Stretching his mind further, Doctor Haijime sensed another emotional wave; however, it was struggling and yet fading, _A Child!_

Standing straight, Doctor Haijime startled those around him. Quickly excusing himself, he walked to a nearby elevator; he had to get to NICU, Natal Infant Care Unit, and fast.

The elevator doors opened far too slowly for Doctor Haijime's anxious taste. Normally he was a patient individual; however, the weak child's presence was fading faster than he had expected, regardless of how much the child fought to live. Strangely enough the mysterious child's presence reminded the good doctor of his own dead son, which brought a sad smile to his young face. _Too stubborn to give up!_ He thought.

"NO!" A haggard voice shrieked, causing Doctor Haijime to wince as the sound pierced his sensitive ears.

Immediately he rushed into NICU's Intensive Care Unit. Closing his mind and heart to the intense emotional wave emanating from the room before it rendered him unconscious. Doctor Haijime watched as a young woman with hair like fire clung onto her mate. Remaining silent, he observed the young couple. The young woman's fire red hair once in a nice ponytail was now in disarray; her tear stained face buried in her mate's chest. Her mate's unruly raven black hair covered his eyes. Suddenly the young pair tensed as they looked in his direction. The young mother's emerald green eyes shined with hopes as did her mate's gray eyes. Doctor Haijime frowned; no one if any could pick him out of the shadows when he choose to remain unseen.

"Can you help our baby?" The young mother's voice sounded coarse from crying.

Doctor Haijime silently stepped out of the shadows.

"Doctor Haijime?" An elderly nurse looked up in shock, but her shock quickly melted away to sorrow and gratitude. "What brings you here?" She asked

"Curious on how things are going up here." Doctor Haijime easily replied as his honey-brown eyes focused on the tiny form of a baby boy; fussing in the third incubator away from the wall.

"Not so good." The veteran nurse commented as she handed him the small child's chart. Glancing down, Doctor Haijime quietly growled as his eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.

"Bastard." He growled as he looked upon the mournful couple. They had come in for their child's three-month check up, and the resident failed to notice the child's fever, which had been caused by an appendix infection that recently exploded. Now the resident's incompetence have cause this young couple to lose their child.

"Please!" The course voice of the young mother snapped Doctor Haijime's daze. Honey-brown meet with emerald green. "Please! Help him! Help my Leus!"

"I tried to explain to them that there is nothing that can be done." The elder explained with a heavy sigh, "Perhaps they will listen to you, Doctor."

With that said, the grandmother of a nurse left to weep in private as another life ended before it began.

"There has to be something that can save him." The gray-eyed mate whispered so low that he might not have said it at all.

Doctor Haijime gave the young couple one last look before walking up to the encased crib. Behind him, he heard the young mother's last strength disappear as she sunk to the floor, and her mate calling to her, begging her to stay with him. The quiet doctor stood next to the small child. He wrinkled his nose as the sharp and decaying scent of death reached his sensitive nose. _Not much longer, but he's still fighting,_ he noted as he placed a pale hand on the plastic cover.

As if sensing a friendly presence, the small child reached toward the resting hand, which brought another sad smile on the good doctor's youthful face. He could not resist any longer; Doctor Haijime's instincts took control as his pale hand pushed the plastic cover off. Without thought his hand caressed the midnight tuff of hair that belonged to the dying boy. The fighting babe giggled at the caress, which melted the sad smile away.

"Leus?" The young mother's haggard voice whispered.

Glancing over his shoulder, Doctor Haijime stared with guarded eyes into emerald green and stormy gray.

"What does that mean?" Doctor Haijime's voice was monotoned but one still heard a hint of curiosity. The doctor's question gave the couple a sense of hope. The fire-haired mother smiled sadly as her eyes laid on her tiny babe.

"_Leus_ is Gaelic for _Light_." She answered.

"He is our light." Her mate commented then pleaded, "Please, sir, there has to be something."

"There is a way." Doctor Haijime thought; liking the idea of the small child being a Light and not knowing why he was suggesting this solution.

"Yes!" The young mother questioned.

"Yes," he whispered gently, "but would you readily agree to it if you knew what it will entail?"

"Anything for Leus!" She cried.

Gathering the fragile bundle into his strong arms, the good doctor knew that the young couple were watching him tentively. Closing his eyes, Doctor Haijime opened his mind and heart in attempts to reach the tiny babe's own mind and heart; giving him more strength to fight a bit longer. As he reached for the small child, the gentle doctor knew that his concealment spell was weaken. The spell that kept his true nature hidden from mortal eyes. The spell that kept his arua hidden from gifted eyes. As the spell weaken and vanished, Doctor Haijime's mortal form disappeared. The gentle form, that comforted many sick children and grieving parents, melted away to the form of one, who was born with power, raised in bloodshed and battle, and ruled with awe, respect and fear. The mortal form of Doctor Haijime Dea disappeared; leaving behind Lord Haijime Dea of the Northern Lands of _Ma-terrarum_, the Demon World.

His pale complexion glowed like moonlight under the dim lights. His raven black hair came free from its bound; giving him a dark angelic appearance. His honey-brown eyes glowed amber. His smooth skin was marred by two gray markings: one on his forehead and another on his left cheek. Two crescent moons kissed the Lord's left cheek while an intricate crying diamond kissed his forehead.

"I ask again," Lord Haijime's calm voice broke the unearthly silence, "Will you readily agree to I, Lord Haijime Dea of the Northern Lands, in saving your child's life?" _Why? Why am I compelled to spare this one child versus many others before him?_

Watching the young parents, the gentle Lord found their lack of fear both surprising and assuring. Finding new strength in the Lord's presence, the young mother smiled as she nodded in agreement to an unspoken speaker as did her mate. _Strange, they are unafraid of me. Who are these humans?_ He asked himself; accepting the couple's consent to save their child. Suddenly he stiffened as he watched the gray-eyed mate reveal a slender stick from his coat pocket then slowly relaxed when the gray-eyed mate aimed the strange thing at the door.

"_Sera_! _Silentium_!" The young human whispered.

The air crackled as Lord Haijime heard the door lock. A gentle smile graced his face as he brought his clawed hand to his mouth. Cutting deep into his thumb with his fang, Lord Haijime brought his bloody thumb to the awaiting and hungry babe, who suckled greedily on the digit. Startled by a pair of gentle hands, Lord Haijime was gently seated in a chair that was not there before.

"The consequence of my actions..."

"We do not care as long as our Leus is alive." The fire-haired mother interrupted as she knelt next to the Lord and her child.

"He is no longer just _your _Leus." Lord Haijime began, "He is mine as much as he is yours."

"Then do _you_ care of the consequences?" She asked with worry etched in her young face.

"Not really." Lord Haijime replied plainly, "He is my son as well, and as long as he is alive, I am content." He paused as he looked at his new child and truly smiled for the first time since the loss of his own family many years ago, "Harold James Potter-Haijime, Lord of the Northern Lands."

**Translations:**

**_Sera_ (latin) lock**

**_Silentium_ (latin) silence**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1: _Inheritance_

Pacing softly in a cubicle of a bedroom, a young raven-haired youth lightly caressed the infamous thunderbolt scar on his forehead. His emerald green eyes flickered every so often to the ancient clock as it slowly ticked away to midnight. Frowning he continued his restless pacing after failing to will the minutes to speed up. Quietly growling to himself, the raven-haired youth could not explain the sudden restlessness he had been experiencing since the last new moon, and which seemed to have increased in instensity with the coming of his birthday.

"What's happening to me?" He whispered to no one then raked his slender fingers through his unruly locks. Turning sharply on his heel, the raven-haired youth looked over the little room that was his and sighed. His bed was still neatly made, his desk cluttered with homework from a number of his professors and roosting on the headboard of his bed was the youth's faithful snowy night creature. Its golden eyes stared at him with concern. The snowy creature cooed quietly as he began his restless pacing again.

"I know, I know," he mumbled in response to his familiar's concern, "If I keep this up, I'll wear a hole in the floor."

"But something is happening to me, Hedwig." The youth continued his rant, "It's like the world is coming alive. I can see without my glasses, even in the dark! My hearing is unbelievable! And if Dudley accuse me of snoring, I'll deck 'im! He snores so damn loud that I can hear it from the other side of the friggen house!"

The youth growled at the thought of his fat cousin's most recent accusation to make his life unbareable. The youth's growl startled the snowy creature. The gentle creature quietly cried; causing the youth to look shamefully at his friend.

"Sorry, Hedwig." The youth's shoulders slumped in shame as he crawled on the tiny bed. "Didn't mean to scare you." Kneeling before the creature, the tan-skinned youth gently scratched her head then casually glanced down at his free hand. It was painfully obvious that his nails had taken on a dangerous look. Curiously as he stared at his sharpened nails; it was his nails that first clued him to his changes. He smiled darkly as he remembered when he first took notice of his nails-strength and the changes in his own physical strength.

"Dudley sure did piss in his pant that day, didn't he, Hedwig?"

Hedwig tilted her head in curiosity, but closed her eyes as her Master continued his scratches.

/Flashback

"BOY!" A fat purple-faced creature bellowed.

The staircase echoed covering the raven-haired youth's quiet grumble wishing of being alone.

"Yes, Uncle Vernon." The youth replied coldly upon reaching the bottom of the stairs.

"What was that, Boy?" The purple-faced creature growled. The youth rolled his eyes as he glared at his uncle. Mentally smirking when the youth noticed his uncle stepping back a bit at the glare.

"I said 'Yes, Uncle Vernon.'"

"I will not have any your sass, Boy. Be grateful we took you in, you little Freak." The purple-faced beast shouted; causing the small throb of pain behind the youth's eyes to increase in intensity. Closing his eyes and biting back a groan, the tired youth allowed his uncle believe he won this verbal spat...this time

"You ungrateful brat," the purple-faced thing sneered, "You are going to help Dudley in his training."

"Wh-what?" Emerald-green eyes snapped wide in shock. He knew that any concept of 'help' that the emerald-eyed youth was to give would be in the form of him getting the living daylights beaten out of him. Oh no sir, he was not in the mood to spend the rest of his day and days to come nursing his battered body.

"You heard me, Boy!" A pudgy hand roughly grabbed the slender youth's shoulder before the youth had a chance to run. The youth bit back the sudden and primal desire to bite the fat and meaty hand off. "Now get outside!"

The youth was roughly pushed into the backyard; waiting for him was his fat cousin in full boxing gear.

"Shite." The youth hissed as he became aware there will be no safety gear for him. Narrowing his eyes as his optimistic side took over and cited, _Think of this as Pre-Auror training for you to go up against good old Voldie. _Moments like this, the youth really hated that side of his personality, and he told himself this.

"Come on, Pothead!" Dudley's piggish voice echoed in the backyard. The youth's right hand itched to use his secret weapon; however, he could not risk expulsion from the place he knew to be home. He could not risk being trapped here longer than he already was.

"I've been lookin' forward to this for a long time, Freak!"

The youth growled, realizing that he had been doing that a lot of late, as he crouched down instinctively to a defensive position.

"Stand up and fight, Pothead!" Dudley shouted as he kicked at the youth, who jumped back.

Standing straight, the raven-haired youth became the suitable target that his relation desired. Surprised at his pudgy cousin's speed, he barely had enough time to bring his arms up to block the barrage of punches; protecting his head and upper body. Grunting and hissing at the force of the punches, the youth cursed at the realization that his piggy cousin _was _not, and _will _not hold back. Coldly peering through his arms, he noticed his uncle cheering and laughing at the one-sided fight. A deep growl rolled pass the youth's lips as he waited for a break. He knew his cousin would not cease his attack until he was a bloody pulp. Taken by surprise, the raven-haired doubled over as his cousin broke through his protective arms and punched violently at his stomach. _Bastard!_ The word echoed in his mind.

"Ha! Ha! Pothead! Can't handle a little love tap!" Dudley's piggish voice squealed.

The youth growled as his eyes narrowed into deadly slits. Dudley was too preoccupied by the strike and giggle that he failed to see or sense the danger he was in.

The growling youth crouched low and on all four; at first glance one would have thought that the porker of a child had just enraged a dog. The youth could not understand why he was on all fours, but it felt natural. All so natural.

_Meat-boy!_ Growled the youth's subconscious mind. _Prey!_

Suddenly the piggish squeal came to a short stop; only to be followed by a boarish scream.

The raven-haired youth lunged at the squealing piggy; right fist connecting with the jaw. Smirking with satisfaction, the raven-haired youth watched as his cousin flew through the air and landed a foot away with a resounding thud. Suddenly wincing, the youth glanced down at his palm; his nose first picking up a metallic scent before his eyes resigtered the sight of his wound palm. His eyes widen as he noticed four crescent moons were dugged into his palm due to the force of the punch. Glancing at his nails, he licked his lips as he looked at his blood tipped nails; ignoring the desire to lick his nails clean.

"BOY!" Bellowed the ox; startling the youth from his daze. Looking up, the raven-haired youth stared darkly into the beady eyes of his relation. The stare-off ended with a horse-like screech and a resounding slap.

"You can forget about dinner tonight, Freak!" The purple-faced ox grabbed the youth's unruly hair and dragged him back into the house and up the stairs to lock him in the small bedroom.

End of Flashback /

Sighing, the raven-haired youth remembered his four-day punishment, which gave him time to complete his homework then frowned for once released from his punishment he found himself not hungry as he thought he would be. He simply shrugged it off as endurance and nothing more. Resting his hands in his lap, the young man looked the ancient clock. _Goddammit!_ He growled at the slow contraption as he jumped off of his bed; resisting the urge to throw the entrapping device out the window. Only two minutes had passed, and the youth had five minutes before his 16th birthday.

Suddenly the air crackled and the silence broke by a loud and almost defeaning, at least to the youth, pop. The raven-haired youth spun around, teeth bared and a claw hand at the ready, and came face to face with a goblin. Hedwig hooted in annoyance at the creature's appearance, while the youth, still in battle-pose, watched the creature curiously. Slowly the youth relaxed and approached the leathery looking creature. Instinctively he sniffed the air and discovered that the goblin smelled metallic and like over-turned earth. Slowly he relaxed; realizing the pale green creature was no threat to him, which the youth found odd he could determine through smell. Strangely enough the magical banker did not seem bothered at all by the young wizard's action. The goblin's instincts told it to remain still; to allow its superior to approach. As the goblin observed the youth's action of sniffing, it realized that it was not pretrubed by thinking of _this_ wizard as its superior. After a few moments, the goblin looked into the youth's emerald-green eyes and realized that it was staring into the eyes of one who has ancient and wild blood.

"Harold James Potter?" The goblin crocked; breaking the silence. Licking his lips, his newly acquired nervous habit, the youth nodded his head. The goblin continued, "I have a time-delayed delivery from James Potter."

"My father!" Harry could not believe his own voice; it sounded so small.

"Yes, sir." The goblin commented as it handed a white envelope and clipboard to the young man and said, "Please sign here."

With a shaky hand, Harry signed and stared for what seemed to be a eternity at the white envelope with an elegant handwriting that simply read: _Harry, my Leus._

_My dear Harry,_

_If you are reading this then none of us are alive to inform nor help you with your inheritence, and for that we are truly sorry, my Son. By now you are probably experiencing physical changes, such as heightened senses and increased strength. Don't worry; this is normal - at least for you, it is normal. The physical transformation you are exepriencing will stop on your birthday as it signified that your true blood has awaken from its sleep and awakening your true form as well... _

_You see, Harry, my Leus, you are half-human and half-demon._

Harry paused and reread the last line. _Harry, my Leus, you are half-human and half-demon_. Licking his lips, he jumped a bit as his tongue grazed over his new fangs. Rushing to the old cupboard that served as his dresser, Harry opened the door to reveal a small broken mirror. His body trembled as he observed the noticeable changes in his face. His emerald green eyes glowed like a cat's; his pupils were slits. His complexion became smoother and healthier. Opening his mouth, his eyes widened as he stared at his pearly white ... Fangs! Snapping his mouth shut, Harry continued reading the letter from the dead.

_Now, I'm aware that my last statement is startling, but it is true, and given the same circumstances, your mother and I would do it again in a heart-beat, as the muggles would say._

_Sixteen years ago, your mother and I went into hiding from Voldemort. To keep you safe, we planned on living our lives as muggles until you received your letter. When you were born, it was in a muggle hospital. There were complications in your birth which caused you to be our first, last and only child. Because of this, your mother and I would do anything to keep you safe._

Harry licked his lips again; being mindful of his razor sharp canines. He slunk down onto the floor; ignoring Hedwig's coos of concern and ignoring the trickle at the small of his neck. _Mum. Dad._ A tear glided down his tanned cheek. Taking a deep breath, he continued reading.

_The muggle doctors informed us to return in 3 months for a routine checkup. Three months came and went. We were happy, alive and safe, but 'all good things must come to an end.' Your mother and I returned to the hospital with you; you were running a fever, but you did not complain. A resident pediatrian did the routine check-up but failed to notice the serverity of your fever, which we both questioned him on. What happened next seemed to have come from a horrible nightmare, that I sometimes wonder if it really did happened._

_You appendix exploded._

_The infection spread through your blood stream. You were dying, and yet struggling to stay alive. We feared that we were going to lose you. Our cries and pleas to all the known gods to save you drew the attention of one Doctor Haijime Dea. Doctor Haijime appeared to be a mortal man; however, he was not. He was a demon, but not any ordinary demon. He was a demon lord. His formal title was Haijime Dea, Lord of the Northen Lands, and you, my dear Harry, my Leus, are his heir._

_The good Lord performed what was called a Blood-Rite. By demon lore and laws, the Blood-Rite is unquestioning; once done, it can not be undone. The Blood-Rite proclaimed you as Lord Haijime's own child; however, due to the nature of our hiding, Lord Haijime placed a sealant spell upon you. The sealant spell would lock your demonic features and aura away from the Wizarding World, but the sealant spell only lasted for a short while. _

_Funny, how 16 years to a demon is a short while._

_Well, now, my Son and Lord, I must leave you once again. I'm truly sorry for not being there for you, but don't worry, for you won't be truly alone in this. Lord Haijime assured us if anything were to happen to us then another will come for you._

_Please, take care, my dear Harry, my Son, my Lord, my Leus._

_Yours truly and Forever_

_James Potter_

Tears rolled down his cheeks as he quietly cried. Clutching the letter to his chest, willing it to be absorbed into himself for safe keeping, Harry did the only thing natural when he was in pain. He curled into a ball, whimpered and wished to be invisible from the entire world.

Not only had he become the embodiment of hope and light for the Wizarding community against Voldemort and his forces; an individual that cannot be loved for fear of bringing danger to others around him, but now he was no longer even human. How much more different must he become in order to get what he most desire? What more must he become?

From the shadows, golden eyes watched as the young Lord read the letter, which explained the nature of his inheritance. A pair of golden eyes observed the room that belonged to the young Lord and frowned. Having observed the entire home, the golden-eyed shadow knew there to be adequate room for the young Lord to call his own, and yet those of his blood would enslave him to this small room. _Disgraceful humans._ The shadow thought, but quickly came out of its thoughts when the scent of salty tears reached its nose, and the gently cooing of the snowy night creature reached its ears. Golden eyes widened as the young Lord's sadness flooded into the small room. The shadow's Lord and Master was in pain. Rushing from the safety of the shadows, golden-eyed shadows wrapped its slender bronze arms around its Master for comfort; not once letting go even when its Master's body tensed by the comfort.

"W-Who are you?" Its Master politely asked but never looking. It knew its Master was soaking in the unconditional affection as if he would never experience it again.

"I am K'lika, _wata neus Shih'nus_. Your _Routelles_, your retainer." Replied the airy voice of K'lika.

Harry sat up slowly; not wanting to frighten this K'lika. Turning around, Harry came face to face with a pair of golden eyes. Tilting his head to one side, Harry observed his mysterious guest. He sensed no threat from her; only genuine concern for his well-being. He smiled a little, which caused an elegant white eyebrow to arch. K'lika was small; probably a bit bigger than a house elf. Her skin was smooth and bronze in color. Her silvery white hair was up in a bun and held in place by a pair of silver sticks. Harry noted that she wore no shoes and her hands had four fingers. She wore a pair of cream-colored harem pants with matching top. Across her forehead, she wore a gold band with a strange diamond design. Suddenly he gasped as he noticed K'lika's high pointed elven ears.

"Something troubles you, milord?"

"Eh... N-no. You're an elf!" Harry stammered.

"You are aware of my kind, milord?" K'lika was surprised.

"Well, not exactly. You see, I know a few house-elves, and ..." He paused as he noticed K'lika's confused expression, "Never mind."

"Hm." She purred, "Come, _wata neus Shih'nus_."

"Hunh? Come? Come where? What's 'wata neus Shih'nus'? And please, call me Harry." Harry rushed in succession, which caused K'lika to chuckle. Standing up, Harry glanced down at K'lika, who reached for Hedwig. Hedwig climbed readily onto K'lika's slender arm as the bronzed elf turned to her Master and simply said, "_Wata neus Shih'nus_ means my Lord, and _we_ are going _home_."

**Translations:**

**_Leus_ (gaelic) light**

**_wata neus Shih'nus_ (youm'-lingua) my Lord**

**_Routelles_ (youm'-lingua) retainer**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2: _Ma-Terrarum, Demon World_

Running through the forest bordering the Northern Lands and the Western, a shadowed figure relished the feel of the winds through its raven and silver-flecked hair. Taking comfort in the simple feel of contentment of being one with nature, the shadowed figure took a slight pause in one of the trees as its ruby-blood eyes took stock of its surroundings. But soon that contentment of being one with nature was overrun by an uneasy restlessness, which threathen to consume the usually stoic figure. The shadowed figure tensed as it attempted to snuff the restlessness out.

Deep within the darkness of the shadowed figure's mind, a battle raged on. A battle between wild fire that craved action and cool ice that craved tranquility. These two opposing elements battled within the petite, lithe form that contained it. These two opposing elements battled against one another in attempts to answer the restless call that sung through the shadowed figure's soul. The shadowed figure desperately attempted to calm the fire of its soul and attempted to calm the ice of its heart. The shadowed figure managed to force the ice of its heart to cool the fire of its soul and forced the fire of its soul to warm the ice of its heart.

Forcing the two opposing elements to harmonize, the shadowed figure found itself in a heap of tangled limps and destroyed trees. Looking about itself, the shadowed figure indifferently noted the forest around itself was in varies stated of being burnt, charred and frozen as a reaction to its two disharmonic elements fighting itself. Taking a deep breath, the shadowed figure picked up the mixed scents of burnt wood and frozen air.

The shadowed figure turned its focus toward the tranquil forest of the Northern Lands. Its lips twitched southward as it quickly deduced the source of its discourse. The source of its restlessness was coming from the Northern Lands. It was as if something from the Northern Lands was calling to it; urging it to come and threatening to send it into the utter chaos of its two opposing elements. The shadowed figure let a small growl rumble out its throat as it allow itself a small pleasure to embrace anger before quickly regaining control over itself. Narrowing ruby-blood eyes on the tranquil lands, the shadowed figure's body continued its run into the Northern Lands. It was determined to find the source of the disconcerting restlessness and destroy it for if it was allowed to continue to exist, then the shadowed figure would surely die or worse... go mad.

It took three days without sleep for the shadowed figure to reach the Capital City of the Northern Lands, and the sense of restlessness was curbed; giving the shadowed figure a moment of peace and calm. Walking among the shadows, the petite figure of fire and ice found strange comfort while within the shadows. It was strange that the shadows would extend itself to give comfort to a restless being, such as the nameless demon.

The shadows was cool and yet warm at the same time. The cover of shadows allowed the nameless youth to remove most of its masks and quieted the two warring elements within the cursed youth. The shadowed youth relaxed its form as it took the moment to take in the sense of peace and belonging. The moment stretched to minutes to a few hours until not even the shadows could drown out the noise of the morning bazaare.

The morning bazaare came alive as stores and vendors opened for business. It became alive as residents of the Capital City began their day. The City started as a low hum and gradually grew to a loud buzz, which caused the tiny being's trangular cat-shaped ears to twitch. A small growl escaped but was quickly quelled to keep reign of the nameless petite demon's emotions. Uncertain as to what to do, the sense of restlessness was curbed; not driving the nameless shadow to anywhere, and the shadows, which the nameless one had taken shelter in, were also quiet; even humming soothingly. The nameless one sighed in annoyance. It was nearly killed by its two elemental powers, forced to come to the source of its restlessness, and now the nameless one was clueless on what to do next. Quietly growling at nothing in particular, the nameless demon pulled its shadow-colored cloak closer and began walking.

With no particular direction in mind, the cursed youth just allowed its feet to lead.

It was not even mid-morning, and the City bazaare was already alive with so much noise that it hurt. So much noise echoed around the lost cursed youth, but it heard none of the noise until...

"Did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"The Blood-Childe has been found!"

"The Blood-Childe!"

"Yes! In the human world!"

"The human world!"

"A human Blood-Childe?"

"This can't be!"

"We're doomed!"

"A human Blood-Childe! What was the Lord thinking?"

"I heard it's no ordinary human!"

"Wha-? Really?"

"Yes!"

"Rumor has it that the Blood-Childe is a Mageling!"

"A Mageling! Among humans!"

"A Mageling!"

The words echoed in the nameless one's mind like a morbid mantra: Blood-Childe, Mageling, Blood-Childe, Mageling. The whispers and gossips form the bazaare washed over the young cursed demon, who was far more accustome to silence. The young cursed one leapt onto the rooftops to escape the noise, and the sudden sense of restlessness had returned ten-fold. Standing on the highest point of a building, the nameless demon took the distrubing moment to calm its opposing elements.

The fire of its soul was calling out to the source; challenging the source; demanding the source its worth in combat. The fire of its soul threaten to consume all in its way, including the nameless demon.

The ice of its heart was calling out to the source as well; calling out to the source to stop; pleading to the source to go away; singing to the source its desire to remain free. The ice of its heart was threatening to consume all in its way, including the nameless demon-child.

Taking deep breathes, the nameless one forced the two warring elements to be at peace. For the time being at least... Although troubled by the sudden reaction at the two words, the cursed demon finally discovered the source of its discourse. The Blood-Childe of the late Demon Lord of the Northern Lands. The nameless shadow's lips twitched briefly as it remembered the market-goers' comments. The Blood-Childe was a human, and a Mageling! Of course, it was not uncommon for Demon nobility to have a Blood-Childe, but to have a human Blood-Childe! To have a Blood-Childe, a Demon nobleman would give the intended child half of his blood; making the child the Demon nobleman's own child. The Blood-Childe was the Demon nobleman's own child with all the legal rights of a true Heir in accordance to Demon Nobility Law.

Not only does the Blood-Childe becomes the Demon nobleman's own child and heir, but the Blood-Childe also inherit his or her Blood-Sire's, the Demon nobleman who gave his blood, demonic powers. It was also rumored to believe that if Childe and Sire were of equal strength and power then the Blood-Childe would inherit a few physical traits from the Blood-Sire, and if the Childe had any latent abilities then it too would surface; making the Blood-Childe an extremely powerful demon. However, the Blood-Childe of the Northern Lands was a human but also a Mageling.

Never in the recorded history of the Nobility had there ever been a human Blood-Childe. True, there have been children born of or sired by a human, and it had taken centuries for the ancient practice of outright slaughter of these offsprings to end. However, a Blood-Rite to create a Blood-Childe of a human had never been done; thus, the consequences were unknown, but perhaps this new Lord's saving grace would be the fact that the Blood-Childe was a Mageling.

A Mageling would be an individual of extraordinary powers. The powers of a Mageling differs greatly from the powers of the demon. Each and every demon would have demonic powers; the degree of those power differs, however, for each individual. A Mageling, on the other hands, not only would have his or her demonic powers but also the power of the Three Worlds: Human, Demon and Spirit World. But it was rare for a Mageling to be a Master of all Three Energies, and keep them in harmony of one another. Although the energy signature of each world can interchange at any given time, the principles of the Three Energies went as followed: Chaos, Neutrality and Order.

To find a demon, who was a Mageling, was rare because demon Mages' power had in the past been too great for a demon to control, which would caused the powers to go out of control and destroy the demon. However, to find a human Mageling was even rarer because humans have forgotten the Old Ways of harnessing the World's Energy within them. If what the nameless cursed demon heard to be true, then the new Northern Lord was indeed powerful, an enemy to be wary of, and that the Northern Lord was responsible for the sudden inbalance between the Nameless One's two opposing elements. And for that the Northern Lord would need to be dealt with.

Emerald-green eyes grew wide as they took in the strange, new and yet welcoming enviroment. K'lika had opened a portal in the middle of the lawn of Privet Drive #4. As Harry trusted K'lika and followed her through, he could not help but wonder if his godfather found a similiar world beyond the Veil. Here he stood now; in the middle of a lively early morning bazaare. The sun rested at the mid-morning mark, and the sky was a gentle rose-hue color with dark violet clouds over head, the winds warm and heavy with the scent of... blood, and the noise! Harry had never heard so much commotion in an open area since the summer of his fourth year at the Quidditch World Tournement. His ears twitched this way and that... _Wait a minute!_ Harry's clawed hands immediately flew to his ears; startling Hedwig off of his shoulder. _My ears!_ Harry's mind echoed in panic. Hedwig hooted in concern; causing muscles on top of Harry's head to twitch.

"_Wata neus Shih'nus_?" K'lika's airy voice laced with concern.

"Eh... K'lika... wh-where are my ears?" Harry sheepishly asked; failing horroribly in fighting against a blush that kissed his cheeks. Harry quickly frowned as he watched concern melt away to pure amusement and followed by a whimsical laugh escaping from the bronze skinned elf. Feeling silly for having asked a stupid question, Harry began looking at anything else but the laughing elf. Carefully noting a couple of strange-looking individuals looking at their direction but quickly gone on their way. Suddenly from the corner of his eye, he noticed K'lika floating off of the ground. Watching the silver-haired creature float into the air until they were eye-level to one another, Harry's suspicious eyes followed warily as one of K'lika's slender arms reach for an unknown object on top of his head. Suddenly gasping Harry stepped back as a gentle shiver glided down his spine. K'lika remained in mid-air as she observed her Lord reaching for his triangular-shaped ears. Curious at how it was possible for one's eyes to grow so wide, K'lika could not help but chuckle at his antics. Gently Harry traced the outline of his ears and giggled childishly as he felt his ears twitch this way and that against his fingertips. As quickly as he paniced, Harry calmed down with a gentle embarassed blush. His laughing emerald eyes stared into an amused golden pair.

"Never mind." Harry mumbled, "Found 'em!"

K'lika broke into another fit of laughter; causing more demons to look at their direction. Hedwig casually returned to her perch on Harry's shoulder. Harry chuckled lightly as he continued his exploration of the fantastic bazaare. K'lika followed him; neither directing him nor coaching his interest. She simply allowed her Lord to explore his people's goods.

Walking from one boothe to another, Harry talked casually with the vendors with the help of K'lika's translations; asking what this and that was. The vendors were polite and never gave notice to his infamous mark, which pleased him greatly. Suddenly his nose twitched at the sweet scent of honeyed meat. K'lika noticed her Lord's attention being drawn toward the _Laughing Gryffin Inn,_ the local traven that the Palace Guards often visited, and a gentle smile caressed her face.

"Would you care for something to eat, _wata neus Shih'nus_, prior to our return to the Palace?" K'lika's airy voice broke through Harry's daze.

Before he could politely decline, his stomache made its hunger known. A breezy chuckle echoed and followed by a low growl and mumble of 'stupid stomache'. The unique pair made their trek through the busy street to the cozy inn.

It was only two days ago that the nameless cursed youth discovered the supposed source of its discourse, and it was only two days ago that the stoic youth had a moment of peace. Ever since that day, the restlessness rose again; threatening to cause havoc in the already choatic individual. The restlessness rose again in anticipation as if the quiet youth knew subconsciously when the new Northern Lord would be arriving, and if the young nameless demon had anything to go by, the increased sense of restlessness was a good sign that the new Lord would be arriving soon, very soon.

Fire re-kindled from its slumber and threaten to consume the young demon's heart; threatening to kill the youth. Clutching at its chest, the young demon-child suddenly attacked the thick stone wall that separated the Inner City from the Mid-City with its bare hands; effectively embracing the dull pain that seemed to snuff out the Fire's desire to spead out toward the source. Sighing a sigh of relief, the nameless shadow leapt onto the rooftop of one of many buildings within Mid-City and quickly sped forward toward the Outer-City, the Northern Capital City's less than hospitable community. The nameless demon hoped to find a brief moment of clearity while among the dregs of demon society.

The nameless shadowed breathed easier as it hid among the shadows between the area's many run down buildings. The young cursed demon did not venture far from the Mid-City Wall to find the outskirts of the Outer-City, especially since the young demon was still on a mission to hunt down the source of its discourse. Suddenly the young demon's reprive was destroyed by a bone-chilling scream.

Leaping onto the rooftop, the nameless demon quickly looked around to discover the source of that scream was a young she-demon, no older than a child, being attacked by six lizard-like creatures. Fire and Ice sprang alive in the youth's veins as the young demon was consumed by rage. Fire and Ice emerged from their slumber as the two opposing forces echoed the same desire, and that desire was protect. The young Fire and Ice demon-child lunged forward.

Slipping its hands behind its back, the young child of War grasped onto its two faithful companions; twin single-armed sais called jutte. Barely touching the ground, the enraged youth pushed forward; lunging toward the largest of the lizard-creatures that held the little she-demon down. Pulling out the right jutte, the heavy iron-made weapon connected across of the foul creature's skull; crushing the creature's visual cortex and premanently blinding the damned being. Launching upward over the crumbling lizard-demon, the young demon casually noted the small she-demon scrambling away to safety. Narrowing its ruby-crimson eyes on the remaining five lizard demons, the child of Fire and Ice flipped gracefully onto its feet and remain crouched in a defensive stance with its twin jutte at the ready.

It would take the remaining slave-dealers a few small minutes to realize that their boss was taken out by a cloaked petite youth armed only with two jutte, and a few small seconds was all that was needed for the rumble to begin.

Running was the only thing that the small she-demon understood. She did not know who the strange demon, who killed the big ugly lizard thing, was, but she was very grateful for it. Running away was the only thing that the small child could do. She had to find her mysterious savior some help. She had to find help as the mysterious savior had helped her. Suddenly as she ran, she felt something calling to her. She felt something strong and powerful calling to her; letting her know that she would be safe as will her savior. She continued running; following the powerful source until she could not run any further.

"Oopf!" The small she-demon exclaimed as she ran into something solid and yet warm.

Her pale lavender eyes widen as she heard a dinstinct moan coming from beneath her. Looking up, the small demon-child gasped in surprise at the sight in front of her. In front of her was a holy creature with ethereal green eyes and wild raven hair. She knew it was this creature that was calling to her to help her savior. Quickly ignoring the soothing rumble coming from the holy creature's throat, the tiny she-demon began dragging the beautiful creature toward her savior.

"Come! Come!" Her shy voice cried as she continued to drag the raven haired demon beauty.

"Come! Come!"

The emerald-green eyed creature's soothing rumbling continued, but the sounds coming from the creature did not make any sense to the young she-demon.

"Come! Quickly! Help! Help!" She continued to drag the youth.

Harry did not mean to disappear on K'lika, but something trickled at the back of his mind that called for his undivided attention. Sighing deeply Harry walked around the Capital City; following his instincts to lead him where he needed to be. Frowning a bit, Harry could hear Mina's voice in the back of his mind complaining about his demanded 'hero-complex'.

_Perhaps, you're right, Mina, but it's who I am. It's what makes me different from Him_. Harry replied to his sister-friend's likely comment. So deep in thought, Harry failed to notice a tiny she-demon running toward him until it was too late.

"Oopf!" A small voice exclaimed as Harry laid flat on his back staring at the rose-hue colored sky. Slowly sitting up, Harry took quick note of the small child sprawled across of him. The tiny thing was no bigger than a small child and unnaturally thin. She had short-trimmed purple-black hair with large pale lavender eyes. Aside from her unusual coloring and of course a twitching tail, the little girl looked like any little girl, who was lost and afraid. Suddenly the little girl crawled to her little bare feet and grabbed onto his hand. Harry knew that the little girl had no real strength over him but allowed the little girl to drag him. As she dragged him toward the direction that she came from, Harry carefully listened to her. Although she spoke the demon language, Harry could sense the urgency. Lengthening his strides to match the little demon-child's run, Harry could feel the air churning in excitement and urgency. Harry could not explain it, but he felt as if his life was about to be easier to bare. He could not explain it.

Suddenly the little she-demon screamed; snapping Harry's attention toward an alleyway. His emerald-green eyes widen in shock as he watched a petite lithe-form of a male demon fighting four ugly lizard-like demons and two knocked out lizards on the alley floor. The fighting youth had lightly tan complexion with raven black, silver-flecked hair and black-tipped, silver triangular cat-shaped ears. The mysterious demon-youth wore a pair of tattered pants with black boots and a tattered blouse.

Harry was mesmerized by the other youth's speed and agility; however, emerald-green eyes narrowed as Harry noticed something was off with the other demon. The little she-demon screamed again, which caused Harry to act. Lunging foreward, Harry pulled out his ever present wand from it holster, and shouted one of many powerful spells that whispered in his mind.

"_Expello!_"

"_Expello!_" A quiet yet commanding voice echoed throughout the small alley. The nameless demon watched with a hidden mix of relief and awe as one of the four lizard demon thugs flew off of his tiny form and hit the brick wall with a satisfying and resounding thud. Not one for being choosy of a much needed ally, the nameless shadow immediately attacked the nearest lizard demon; taking him down with a quick blow to the stomache and slashed at the thug's achillies with his claws for good measure before lunging for his twin jutte. Turning around, the cursed youth quickly noticed one demon youth on the ground - unmoving and another rolling on the ground ... _laughing?_ The damned youth's crimson eyes narrowed on the dark-haired youth holding a strange slender stick. The dark-haired youth's emerald-green eyes looked at him with genuine concern, which confused the nameless youth. None had looked at him like that, but he will not allow his guard to be down nor will he be fooled. His muscles tight and ready for an attack as he continued his stare-off with the mysterious youth.

"Are you alright?"

The youth's voice was friendly; truly friendly. The nameless demon-child hesistantly nodded as his mind processed the foreign speech of the _nin-nus_ and he continued to observe the youth, who smiled. Suddenly...

"_Perfecto Tranquillus!_" The dark-haired youth shouted angerily.

The child of Fire and Ice had leapt out of the way and perpared to charge when he heard something behind him drop. Turning around the nameless shadow watched in a state of surprise that he never knew existed for himself. The first lizard demon had awoken and attempted to attack from behind, but the dark-haired youth stopped it.

The dark-haired youth was angry. The air around him and in the alleyway surged and crackled with power. The cursed shadow stepped aside as the youth walked by. _Dog!_ The nameless one's nose told him, _And anger and..._ The shadowed youth paused in his thought as he watched the mysterious youth glare at the offending lizard demon. _Fear!_ The cursed one picked up from the lizard youth.

"Leave. Him. Alone."

The nameless shadow stiffened. The lizard youth was scared witless, and the dark-haired youth, although angry, was calm; dangerously calm. Unable to move the lizard youth pleaded with his eyes to the dark-haired youth, which worried the cursed one. Although he had been in the Capital City for a short while, the nameless one knew the nature of lizard demons. They rather die than expose their emotions, like fear, so openly, and yet this raven-haired youth with emerald-green eyes had done so to one of his aggressors. _Why?_ The question echoed in his mind.

"Are you alright?" The dark-haired youth asked; again his voice friendly and his eyes wide in genuine concern. The demon-child with no name nodded as his mind quickly processed the youth's foreign speech. The dark-haired youth smiled as he extended his hand out, "My name is Harry. What's your's?"

The nameless one stared at the outreached hand. _None have done this before._ All of his years, the nameless child saw an outreached hand as a threat. He should have too, but this mysterious youth gave no reason for the nameless shadow to fear him. Of course, the one with no name was no fool, this friendly dark-haired youth was powerful and could crush him if desired. He can smell the power; it was like the scent of lightening: crisp, raw and electric. With a trembling hand, the nameless demon excepted the youth's hand. The youth smiled while his eyes were dark with ... _Understanding! How can he understand?_ Their handshake was brief, but the dark demon-child took their closeness as an opportunity to pick up the youth's scent. Leaning close, the dark-haired youth stiffen in surprise as the nameless one delegently sniffed the youth. _Dog and human. Half-blood._ The nameless shadow concluded and continued, _Sandalwood, pine and red-fruit._

"Um... are you alright?" The dark-haired youth again asked but nervously this time.

The shadowed figure stared at him then noticed his dark hair covering his forehead. The dark-haired youth began to fidget. Cautiously the cursed demon-child lifted the silkly midnight mane; his eyes widen as he stepped back immediately. The dark-haired youth looked at him oddly, even a bit ... hurt. This dark-haired youth was different and powerful, and the one he sought to destroy. This mysterious youth was the Blood-Childe.

"_Wata neus Shih'nus_ Haijime Harry!" An airy voice called; drawing their attention to the small bronze elf.

"Midnight-_in'nis_." The cursed child of Fire and Ice's voice croaked under disuse; startling the dark-haired youth named Harry. Then the nameless shadow disappeared.

"_Wata neus Shih'nus_?" K'lika called again; dropping Harry's given name once certain she had his attention.

"Hm?" Harry replied as he looked into her worried eyes.

"Are you well?"

"Yeah." Harry smiled then frowned, "Do you know who that was?"

"_Ii-lus, wata neus Shih'nus_." K'lika replied, and noted the disappointment mixed with confusion in his eyes. It was easy for her to forget that her Lord did not speak the demon tongue, _Youm'-lingua_. She continued, "No, milord; however, from his scent, I know of what he is."

"What do you mean?"

"His scent is a mix of fire and ice; a forbidden coupling." K'lika explained as if that was the explanation he needed.

Harry frowned. He did not understand. He looked up into the rose-hued sky. _That pull._ He thought. It was this urgent tug in the back of his mind and in his heart that brought him to this alleyway. It lead him to the quiet youth, and now, the pull moaned in sadness. _Why? Are you sad and lonely? Like me?_ Harry silently asked the air and the wind; hoping his thoughts reached the quiet youth, a possible friend.

_Why? Are you sad and lonely? Like me?_

_Nanemo_, no name,watched in shock as the dark-haired youth, Harry, and the bronze elf, K'lika, walked away. _Nanemo _shook his mind. He was surprised that Harry's thoughts reached him. _He is powerful, and yet he concern himself with the likes of me. Why?_ Questions about this mysterious Harry plaqued his mind. _Nanemo _cursed his father's blood for his curiousity and knew the only way to answer his questions was to follow the young Midnight-_in'nis_, midnight-dog, the half-blood, the Blood-Childe.

"What troubles you, _wata neus Shih'nus_?" K'lika asked in concern of the sudden quietness of the youth.

Harry frowned. How was he going to ask? How was he going to ask K'lika, how she knew the strange boy, when she said she did not. And then the strange pull was plaguing him. When he and K'lika left the alley, the pull increased in its presence as if to tell him to go back, but quickly it subsided. Sighing Harry looked back at his bronze-skinned friend and sadly smiled. Before K'lika could ask again, they had reached the Palace gates, and Harry just stopped. His emerald eyes widen at the grandeur of the Palace. A small smile graced K'lika's face as she watched her young Master stare at the Palace and back at her then back at the Palace.

"Th-th-that's the Palace!" Harry's voice asked barely above a whisper, but K'lika heard perfectly.

"_Haita, wata neus Shih'nus_, " K'lika began, "Yes, Milord. From here, you reign over the Northern Lands."

"Right," Harry licked his lips and mumbled, "Northern Lands."

K'lika continued her trek toward the Palace gates and made a mental note to question her Lord later. Harry immediately followed as he observed the high walls that surround the Palace. His attention quickly returned to the gates as he watched K'lika walk past a pair of guards. Harry could not help but observe the guards as they too observed him. The guard on his right looked like a cheetah while the other guard looked like a pale-colored dragon. Harry knew his usually response to whenever someone sneered at him, a habit curteousy of one quick-wit, snarky Potions Master, would not go over very well with these guards, so he opted to respond with a smile; another nervous trait he picked up and thought he had lost.

"Hello, I'm Harry." Harry smiled. He knew he should not expect a response, but the pale-colored dragon nodded; followed by the cheetah. Harry smiled again, but this time a genuine smile. He quickly ran after K'lika, who waited for him in what appeared to be the main courtyard.

In the shadows, _Nanemo _watched Harry's action toward the front guards. _He is certainly strange._ _Nanemo _felt a strange tug at the corners of his lips as he watched Harry. Quickly shaking his head of any moments of weakness, _Nanemo _returned his gaze onto the Palace.

Oh yes, this Palace was grand but not large as the Royal Palace of the Eastern Lands. The high walls would be no problem for _Nanemo _to jump over. He observed the two front guards, who Harry greeted. Along certain points of the high walls were two guards for each point. _Strange security system._ The strange youth thought. Returning to the Palace, _Nanemo _observed Harry and the bronze elf in the main courtyard, which looked large enough to train an army and/or to keep the people of the Capital City safe.

The Palace itself comprised of three large buildings, a large tower in the northeastern corner of the grounds and a series of smaller buildings. _The Palace servent's home, perhaps._ _Nanemo _guessed. Two of the three large buildings were adjacent to the tower while the third was offset toward the western side of the grounds. Curious on the third building, _Nanemo _watched for a few moments until he witnessed a couple of the guards leaving the building. _The Guards' Barracks._ He questioned himself. Suddenly he was pulled out of his observation by a strange tugging in his heart.

_Nanemo _suddenly felt nervous and scared. He frowned. _He_ never felt nervous nor scared. Hell, he was certain that he had no emotions, which left him with one conclusion. _Harry!_ Quickly panning the courtyard, _Nanemo _found Harry surrounded by a dozen or so demon elders. _His council._ _Nanemo _suddenly growled for two reasons. The first at the elders for making Harry nervous, and the second at himself for caring. Ignoring his cautious behavior, _Nanemo _followed his instincts and rushed to Harry's side.

K'lika instructed Harry to remain in the courtyard while she went for the Council of Elders. The moment she left, Harry suddenly felt alone and lost. He watched, with a wary eye, the guards going about their business, and they watched him. His senses were at full alert for any signs of danger. He felt small in the presence of all these demons in the Palace; all the _full-blooded_ demons. How can he, a _half-blooded_ demon, rule when there were many others more qualified? How can he, who has a maglomanic, pyschotic, undead bastard trying to kill him year after year, rule in a land that he does not know the language? How can he?

As these questions plagued his mind, Harry began to feel even more lost and afraid. Looking up Harry stared into the eyes of half a dozen demons of varies shapes, sizes and ages. Licking his lips, Harry looked for K'lika for help. He did not know what to do. In the Wizarding World, he knew and understood his role as the Savior. He had to destory Voldemort; no and's, if's or but's about it. In the Muggle World, he knew and understood his role as the Freak. He was the whipping boy and escapegoat for all things that went wrong. His life had always been defined as good vs. evil, as normal vs. abnormal. But here? What was his role? Leader? Ruler? Lord? Master? What did they, these demons under his rule, expect? He was just a child; he knew this and understood this. He knew and understood that being a Leader, nothing was clear cut, nothing was clearly defined as good and evil...

"_Wata neus Shih'nus_?" Many voices called. They all could sense his fear; it seemed to drown them. Slowly one demon, who looked to be a mix of a cat and a butterfly, approached him. Harry slowly moved back. He was not worthy to rule and keep these demons safe from enemies, especially his own. The approaching demon paused as she, yes, Harry could now see the female features in this demon, as she looked upon him with sad eyes. Harry knew that they could see and easily read his emotions. His Potions Master often complained that his eyes were like an open book and that anyone could read what was on Harry's mind. At this point, Harry did not care if these demons could read his emotions. He truly believe that he was not worthy to rule.

"_Wata neus Shih'nus_?" The cat-butterfly demonness gently called as she tried to reach for him.

"**TEINEO!**"

The booming command from the guards startled Harry and the others. Although Harry did not know the meaning of the word _teineo_, he understood the tone. There was trouble in the Palace. True to Gryffindor form, Harry bolted to the source of the trouble. The sounds of a street fight reached Harry's sensitive ears. Coming upon the fight, Harry spotted two guards restraining...

"YOU!" Harry called out as he recognized the quiet smaller youth.

One of the guards suddenly began speaking. Although the words flowed beautifully from the guard's lips, Harry did not understand a single thing being said. Quickly looking around, Harry suddenly called, "**K'LIKA!**"

"_Wata neus Shih'nus_!" K'lika immediately appeared, and as those words flowed pass her lips, all the guards became quiet.

"Please, I don't understand what's going on!"

"Of course," K'lika understood her Master's request and began speaking with the guard, "He said they caught this one storming into the Palace."

Harry looked back at the quiet youth. Although he looked rough and dangerous, Harry noticed a glint of concern in his crimson eyes.

"Let him go!" Harry commanded.

Suddenly the courtyard became alive with everyone bellowing, all of which Harry did not understand nor did K'lika bother to translate. Seeing that the two guards were not going to release the crimson-eyed youth, Harry walked up to them and pried the youth free from their grip. The guards did nothing but stare in awe. Suddenly one of the guards came out of his stupor and hissed, "_Kistrum!_"

For a second time in a short while, the courtyard became silent but this time the air became thick with tension. The quiet youth growled at the offending guard. Harry looked at K'lika, who stared wide-eyed at the same guard.

"K'lika?" Harry called. His tone was void of any emotion; it was a command and all knew this. K'lika knew what he was asking for. She also knew that he will not be pleased with the translation.

"_Kistrum_ means freak." She calmly replied.

The silence was deafening, but not as deafening as Harry's presence. Before and during the ruckas, all of them could sense the tormoil of emotions that made up their Lord, but now they sensed nothing. Harry's bright emerald-green eyes slowly grew dark. The air around them grew thicker, heavy and surged with power, with magic. In the distance, drinking barrels began boiling over and cracking sounds echoed. The practice weapons, which were made of wood, became either kindling as they burst into flames or splinters as they shattered from an unknown force. No one dared to move for fear of their Lord's wrath being redirected at them. They were afraid, but they were also confused. Soon their confusion would be settled as Harry turned his attention to the guard. A low and dangerous growl eminated from Harry; proving to all that he truly had the Blood of a Midnight-Dog demon flowing through his veins.

"**I. DON'T. WANT. TO. HEAR. THAT HATEFUL. WORD. EVER. AGAIN!**" Harry's words were low but still audiable thanks to demon hearing.

The guard began to quake. The bitter scent of fear rolled off of him in waves.

"**THAT. DISGUSTING. WORD! IT. HURTS. WORSE. THAN. ANY. OTHER. HEX! THAN. ANY. OTHER. BEATING! THAN. ANY. OTHER. WOUND! THAT! VILE! WORD! ATTACKS! THE! SOUL!**"

Harry was quaking with contained rage. His voice remain even but held a dangerous undertone. Wrapping around himself and the pertified guard, the shadows danced and caressed their cold fingers against the guard; letting the frighten guard know that they, the Shadows, obey only Harry and will seek vengeance to appease the young demon's wrath.

"**NEVER. EVER. SAY. THAT. WORD!**"

Harry grounded out those words. The guard, too scared to say anything, nodded, but the shadows did not receed. Harry was too angry. Many memories of his relatives calling him _freak_ echoed in his mind. The others remain still; fearful of his wrath being redirected toward them. The Council of Elders watched with sadness as they each recognized the signs of emotional abuse in their young Lord.

The young intruder, _Nanemo_, No Name, suddenly realized why he and the young Lord were alike. They both carried scars on their souls. They both understood the heaviness that Darkness weigh upon an individual. They both understood that the same Darkness was also a comfort. The Darkness allowed both of them to know that they were still alive and unbeaten. _He is truly wata neus Shih'nus._ The raven-haired demon thought. Without hesitation, the demon with no name disappeared from sight only to reappear before the enraged midnight-dog demon.

Shocked to see the quiet youth before him, Harry calmed down a little. Crimson eyes met emerald-green eyes. All shields were down; all emotions were exposed to one another for a brief moment. A brief moment was all that was needed between the two.

"_Wata go irume ha Nanemo imasu_." The quiet youth said as he extended his hand out. Harry smiled as he recognized the same guesture that he had done before.

"I am _No Name_." K'lika's airy voice translated.

"Hunh?" Harry looked down at his retainer.

"His name means _No Name_, _Nanemo_."

Harry frowned as he looked at his new-found friend, who only kept an eye on Harry. Harry reached for the extended hand then smiled.

"You Sirius." Harry pointed to _Nanemo_, who suddenly blinked in confusion.

"_Wata neus Shih'nus_?"

"_No Name_ is not a name. So how about Sirius for a name?" Harry explained with a smile. K'lika did not translate. Na-Sirius understood what the young Lord said. Suddenly Sirius dropped to one knee, head bowed.

"_Wata go, donaquis ga so'karille irume ha _Sirius_ imasu, irume ha an'tuus hi-mo imasu_, _wata neus Shih'nus_." Sirius' voice was low and monotoned, but Harry could hear a hint of happiness as if Sirius found a purpose in his life. Tilting his head to one side, Harry heard the Council of Elders' in surprise, a number of guards grumble in protest while K'lika explained what Na-Sirius just declared himself as Harry's personal _youjin'tores_, bodyguard. Harry knelt down and looked directly into Sirius' eyes.

"I just want a friend, Sirius."

"_Tomod'cus_?"

Harry nodded with his emerald-green eyes sparkling. Sirius, although showed no emotion, was pleased, but even though his Lord only wanted friendship from him, it did not sway Sirius' decision to protect his Lord and Master.

**Translation:**

**_wata neus shih'nus_ (youm'-lingua) - My Lord**

**_ii-lus_ (youm'-lingua) - no**

**_haita_ (youm'-lingua) - yes**

**_in'nus_ (youm'-lingua) - dog**

**_Nanemo_ (youm'-lingua) - No Name**

**_teineo_ (youm'-lingua) - stop**

**_kistrum_ (youm'-lingua) - freak**

**_Wata go irume ha Nanemo imasu_. (youm'-lingua) - I am No Name**

**_Wata go, donaquis ga so'karille irume ha _Sirius_ imasu, irume ha an'tuus hi-mo imasu_, _wata neus Shih'nus_. (youm'-lingua) - I, who is Sirius, is your Man, my Lord.**

**_youjin'tores_ (youm'-lingua) - bodyguard**

**_tomod'cus_ (youm'-lingua) - friend**

**_nin-nus_ (youm'lingua) - human**

**_expello_ (latin) - expell**

**_Perfecto Tranquillus _(latin) - perfect stillness**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3: _The Hidden Slytherine Prince_

"**_BEN!_**" A voice bellowed; scattering the morning song-birds away, and followed by a painful crash.

Laying on the floor in a heap of twisted limps that only a Yoga master would appreciate, Harry groaned. _Ow!_ The young Lord thought as he slowly attempted to untangle himself and get dressed. Harry, after a few painful tries, remained on the floor as he looked up at his _youjin'tores_, his bodyguard. Although small in stature, Sirius just oozed with great confidence that Harry envied, and just now Harry could see amusement hiding in Sirius' usually cold and hard crimson eyes. Harry knew that he was the only one able to see the amusement in the stoic mixed demon.

"Oh _Damaclu_!" Harry growled; knowing full well that Sirius would not really say anything about his predicament. Slowly getting up, Harry noticed a slight twitch in Sirius' eyebrow. He smiled. It was three days ago that Harry discovered his true heritage and the two kindred spirits meet, and it was in those three days Harry learned that Sirius rarely talked, but the slight change in body language and facial expression spoke volumes, which Harry prided himself in being able to decipher them.

"You're wondering 'bout the rude wake-up call?"

"Hm."

Harry sighed as he quickly walked pass his friend. Sirius did not mind his Master's attempt to evade answering the question. Sirius knew that Harry would explain as soon as _he _knew how. However, what surprised him was that Harry was walking toward the Council Chamber, a room where the Council of Elders would meet to determine which issue would be presented to the young Lord. The guards took note of the young Lord and his _youjin'tores_ and allowed them to pass. Without knocking, Harry pushed the chamber doors open and simply said, "I need to go back."

It took a few seconds for the Council members to recognize the individual, who dared to rudely interrupt their session, as their young Lord. it took another few seconds for them to acknowledge what he had said. During this time, Sirius could hear Harry counting in _youm'-lingua_.

"_Ich'nus, nido, sares, yo-qua..._"

Harry did not finish the word 'four' when his council suddenly errupted in protest to his leaving. The noise was defeaning. Harry's ears laid flat against his head; Sirius gave a slight whimper in pain. Suddenly...

"_Silentium!_" Harry cried out; not realizing that he did not have his wand until it was too late, but the room did fall silent. Catching everyone including Harry by surprise, Harry sheepishly grinned as he realized at what he had done; however, without his wand, Harry could not reverse the effects of the silence spell. Instead he used the magically induced silence to explain why he needed to return to his _nin-nus_, human, relatives.

Harry explained that in the world of _nin-nus_ existed the muggles, humans without magic, and the wizards, which what he was. He continued explaining that the Wizarding World was under constant threat and attack from Lord Voldemort. Harry explained the complicated relationship and destiny the two shared; to kill or be killed relationship. He explained each trail he had faced while at his school then he somberly explained his guilt of being the cause of his godfather's death.

"And now that it can no longer be denyed that that undead _yathus_ **IS **alive, the Order of Phoenix has pretty much ordered me to write to them every three days to ensure that 1) I'm being treated well," Harry bite out bitterly, "and 2) I'm safe and alive."

Taking a deep breath, Harry watched the Council look at one another then attempt to speak again; only to remember that they could not. _Oops!_ Harry thought again as he realized that the silencing spell was still in effect. _ How did I do that in the first place?_ Pinching the bridge of his nose, Harry sighed deeply. He bowed deeply as he had seen one of the servants done and apologized for the spell he unintentionally cast.

"_Wata neus Shih'nus_." K'lika's airy voice broke the unnatural silence, "I believe you require this?"

Harry turned around and smiled as he noticed his wand in K'lika's small hands. It amazed Harry that she always knew what he wanted or needed. He smiled and mouthed 'thank you' then quickly muttered the counterspell. After a few seconds, one of the elders cleared his throat. The rough cough eased everyone, including Harry.

"Please, sit _Shih'nus_ Harry." The Coucil Elder said, "This is a serious matter that must be addressed."

Harry took his place in the open seat provided and waited for the Council Elder to direct him on what to do as many others have done. Sirius took his place behind Harry; hidden in the Shadows. Whatever Harry was expecting, this was not it. The Council of Elders immediately asked a few questions to clarify his role in destroying this Voldemort creature; they asked for Voldemort's specific crimes against their monarch and they asked about the Order of Phoenix. Harry explained all save for the latter in great detail; understanding that his Councilmen were formulating a plan.

"_Shih'nus_ Harry," The _Neli-chopi_, cat-butterfly, hybrid demon began, "we understand your responsibilities to these magic-wielders, especially at such a young age even among the _nin-nus_; however, we are greatly concerned about the _nin-nus_ that are your kin."

"What about them?" Harry asked; his tone was nervous and defensive. Harry did not speak of the Dursleys; only in reference to where he lived during the summer holidays.

"They have harmed you in the past." She said; not as a question but as fact, which caused Harry to tense.

No one knew the extent of the abuse he lived through; well, that was not entirely true. There was one other person who knew, but he was confused by the snippets of memories that he managed to dig up after Harry had successfully buried them deep within his mind. And the individual in question never came to ask the young Lord about them; not that Harry would tell the individual... or would he?

Harry licked his lips as he looked at each of his Councilmen. He did not want to tell them. He did not need more pity... _But they are not giving you pity; they just want to know the truth, regardless_... He did not want to appear to be weak among those he was to protect. Harry's inner tormoil continued until he felt that mysterious pull that lead him to Sirius brush against his soul; giving him strength and letting him know that he was not alone.

Harry turned around to look at his friend and _youjin'tores_. Sirius had stepped out of the Shadows and peered into Harry's emerald-green eyes. Although none can see it, Harry saw everything in his friend's eyes and knew that no matter what Sirius will always be by his side. Taking a deep breath, Harry addressed his Council.

"They have."

"For your safety, you must remain here."

"_Ii-lus_." Harry quickly answered, "I would love nothing more than to stay here, but the Order will come to check on me if I don't send a letter to them, and when they do and discover that I'm gone, they'll start a massive search. Such a heavy activity from the Order will alert ol' Fang-face to my disappearance, and he _will_ do something about it. I can't risk the lives of innocent _nin-nus_ just so I can be safe from Dursley's fist."

The Chamber was quiet for the longest time that Harry feared that they would not allow him to return. Even though deep in the darkest corner of his heart that was what he desired, but the lives of muggles and wizards alike rest on his shoulders.

"There is an old proverb," commented an old _ryuco_, dragon, demon, "_The need of the many outweigh the need of the few._ _Shih'nus_ Harry, you are wise in this manner."

"_Wata neus Shih'nus_," the old _ryuco_ demon continued, "be assured that you are truly worthy to rule and protect your people. And be assured that we will serve and protect you as well."

Harry smiled. Three days agao, when he lost his temper against the guard, the Council of Elders would always say something of praise to assure the young demon lord that he was worthy to rule. Harry knew what they were doing and greatly appreciated it. He drank up the praises and re-assurances as if it were water. Harry never was assured about anything in regards to his abilities or lack of abilities; true, he received praises in school but everyday assurances for little things...never. He smiled.

"Okay," Harry leaned forward; placing the mask of monarch on, "What's the game plan?"

"If what you say is true then you must return immediately."

"Unfortunately yes, but how do I return? And more importantly, how do I come back here?"

"If you are willing to wait a bit longer, _wata neus Shih'nus_, then the Alchemist would be able to create a portal gate."

"A portal gate? What's that?"

"It is a device that allows the wearer to open a portal between the _nin-nus_ realm and our own."

"I'll wait." Harry absent-mindedly replied as he quickly formulated a rough schedule in his head, "In the evenings and weekends, I'll come back here, and during the day, I stay there and go to school at Hogwarts."

"_Wata neus Shih'nus_, what of a guard?" One of the Elders asked.

Harry smiled as he looked at Sirius. Sirius nodded slightly.

"Siri'll come with me."

Looking at the small charm, Harry looked back at the _neli-chopi_, whose name was extremely difficult to pronounce, which caused Harry to give her the nickname Eowyn after the elegant Tolkein elf-princess. The golden charm was small and circular with a red-green starburst gem in the center. Sirius and K'lika stood beside their Lord.

"How does it work?" Harry asked.

"Say the activation word, and the portal will open." Eowyn explained.

"Okay." Harry replied as he looked around for inspiration then smiled, "K'lika, how do you say **home**?"

"You can say _iedo_ or _katdo_."

"What's the diff'?"

"_Iedo_ is more of a place of residence, while _katdo_ is a place of affection."

Harry smiled; clutching the portal gate and declared, "_Katdo!_"

As before when K'lika open a portal in the _nin-nus_ realm, the winds blew past the three demons creating a vortex before them. K'lika quickly stepped through while Harry gave his new home one last look. Sirius immediately followed Harry. Passing through the portal, Sirius found himself staring at a bewildered Lord, an annoyed elf and a half of dozen plus one pair of golden eyes. Hedwig, Harry's familiar, hooted in annoyance at a pair of owls roosting on her perch.

"I don't believe it!" Harry mumbled.

"_Wata neus Shih'nus?_"

Harry turned around and looked at Sirius, who was leaning against the cupboard-dresser.

:It's still my birthday.: Harry explained then looked at his clock. It read three thirty in the morning. Sirius arched an eyebrow in confusion.

:It would seem that there is a temporal difference between the two realms: K'lika explained as she attempted to calm Hedwig down.

:Temporal? As in time:

"_Haita._" K'lika answered:I believe it would be in our best interest to determine the difference.:

:I agree.: Sirius replied; drawing attention to himself. :If time is slower in the _nin-nus_ world then when we return, it will be a matter of days in _Ma-Terrarum_ rather than hours.:

:Yeah, I agree.: Harry commented:K'lika, I want you to figure the time difference and wait for us this evening... Eh... I mean, when we return.:

:As you wish.: K'lika replied then disappeared; leaving behind a troubled youth and a curious demon-guard.

Harry sighed deeply as he sat down on his bed; staring off in space. While Harry was in his own world, Sirius looked around. Mentally he frowned at his Master's living quarters. The room was small and appeared smaller with the owls present. The only furnitures were a small bed, a cupboard-dresser, a desk with a chair and a box for a nightstand. _Disgusting nin-nus_, Sirius thought; unaware that his internal fury caused the already warm room to be warmer.

"_Teineo._" Harry's voice broke through Sirius' thoughts of retribution.

When crimson met emerald-green, Sirius understood more how he and Harry were alike. In respect for his Master, Sirius pushed aside the desires for revenge for a later date and walked over to Harry. Seeing a small smile, Sirius relaxed then pointed his head toward the awaiting night-birds.

"Oh!" Harry exclaimed as he remembered that he had presents. :In the Wizarding World, we use owls to deliver the post.: Harry exclaimed as he motioned for the birds to come. Three of the seven owls immediately came; two of which Harry recognized from Hogwart's Owlery. Opening the package from the scuffest owl, Harry knew it was from Hagrid. The package contained a cake and a book on Thestral care.

:I wouldn't eat that if I was you.: Harry warned as Sirius put the cake aside. The next package came from Professors Dumbledor and McGonagall. Harry frowned as to why Dumbledor would use an owl from the Owlery and not Fawkes, his phoenix familiar. Before Harry opened the package, Sirius handed his Lord a note that he found attached to the strange bird's leg.

_Dear Harry,_

_Happy Birthday! We are truly sorry to have to keep sending you to your muggle relatives, but Professor Dumbledor insist on it. Enclosed are two books in which we know you will enjoy. Do take care of yourself and hopefully you will join is soon._

_Signed_

_Professor M. McGonagall_

:Well, that explains why they used an owl.: Harry mumbled.

:How: Sirius asked. He read the note but found no explanation. Harry grinned.

:Professor McGonagall was the one _to_ send the package, which means Fawkes is being used for Order business.:

"Hn." Sirius commented. Sirius personally did not care for the Order nor for their business. As long as he was concern, they were nuisances and would get in _his_ way of protecting _his_ Master.

Harry quickly opened the package to reveal a mentioned two books. One was on animagus and the other was on the History of Aurors, which had a marked page. Curious Harry opened to the marked page and gasped. Sirius looked at the page then at a photo of a loving couple on Harry's nightstand.

"_An'tuus chipa_." Sirius stated; not as a question but as a fact.

"_Haita._" Harry simply replied as he began reading. While Harry read, Sirius gathered the remaining packages from the owls; knowing full well that his Master will take his time with his new book. Sirius had seen the oblivious look on Harry's face before when he found a book or document of interest in the great Library. Once relieved of their burden, the owls left and Hedwig returned to her perch to rest; knowing that she will soon be flying out with a number of responses.

:It says here that my grandparents' names were Jonathan and Melissa Potter.: Awe laced the young demon lord's voice. Sirius nodded. Harry looked at the remaining presents. He suddenly dropped down to his knees and removed a loose floor board from underneath his bed. The loose floor board revealed a bundle in an old clothe, and a jar filled with loose change. Carefully removing the bundle form the secret compartment, Harry unwrapped the bundle to reveal a photo album that was given ot him by Hagrid. Harry placed the Auror History book beneath the photo album then returned to the other packages. Looking up Harry saw confusion in Sirius' eyes.

:I keep my most prized possessions there because Dudley doesn't know about it so he won't be able to take them.: Harry explained softly. Sirius nodded then returned to sitting on Harry's bed. Harry looked through the remaining packages and placed them in order that he wanted to open them.

The next package he opened came from his best friend, Ron Weasley, and as always Ron gave him a book on the latest Quidditch strageties with a brief note saying he would like to try a few plays. With a grin, as he wondered if the ban have been lifted, Harry placed the book aside to open another package. This one came from Mister and Mrs. Weasley. His grin grew to a smile as he opened the package filled with his favorite treats; chocolate and vanilla covered marshmallows. Mrs. Weasley discovered she had a talent for making sweets during his fourth year at Hogwarts and began selling some on the side for a little extra income. She would always send Harry a sampler of her homemade sweets, but his absolute favorites were the marshmallow eggs. Looking up Harry noticed Sirius slowly creeping up behind him and sniffing at the sugary delights. Harry found himself suddenly biting the inside of his cheek to keep from giggling. _Who would have thought he has a sweet tooth!_ Harry thought to himself as a small giggle escaped; causing Sirius to freeze upon realizing that he had been caught. Harry lifted the box-filled treats to his cautious friend and motioned him to take a piece. Using his demonic speed, Sirius took a piece and popped it into his mouth. Suddenly his ears perked up at the smooth, creamy taste of chocolate and vanilla and the sugary texture of the marshmallows. Harry giggled again.

:Good, hunh:

"_Haita!_" It was subtle, but Harry heard the childish glee in his friend's voice. Harry made a mental note to thank Mrs. Weasley with one of _his_ recipes. It was a past time, at first, shared between Mr. Weasley and himself but slowly spread out to Mrs. Weasley. Harry paused them smiled, _Yes, the Cheesy-Chicken Enchilladas will do._ Leaving the treats for the two to munch on, Harry opened his next package from Fred and George Weasley. As he opened the package, his eyes widen at the magazine that greeted him.

"Happy Birthday! You Big Boy!" A vuluptuous and husky voice said.

"Eh..." Harry replied; blinking like an owl. Sirius was next to him once he heard the female's voice. An eyebrow arched as he looked at a winking woman with strawberry blonde hair in twin braids and wearing a bar wench's outfit that was made for a little girl instead of a fully-endowned woman.

"_Wah'j-vir!_" Sirius growled, which caused the cover witch to giggle then lean forward to reveal more of her chest.

"Ooo, I like it rough!"

Harry quickly tucked the magazine under his mattress before Sirius destroyed it as he fought an embarassing blush.

:Uhm... Yeah, _that_ came from George.:

Harry turned around and saw a troubled looking Sirius, who in turned looked at his Master with an annoyed look; demanding an explanation.

:That's _PlayWizard_; a provacative magazine. After the whole mess with Cho, I discovered that I really don't fancy girls.: Harry began as he looked away in fear of rejection but continued nonetheless:I really didn't know what I liked, and I knew George liked both so I asked him. That was a mistake and yet rewarding. Through him I discovered that I fancy men, but he has not stopped his relentless teasing: Harry ended by throwing his hands in the air.

:It is distasteful.: Sirius commented then reached for a sweet.

Harry froze. Hesistantly and in a quiet voice he asked what was distasteful.

:The magazine.: Sirius simply said as he noticed his Master relax then he leaned over and whispered:It is not uncommon to find mated-couples of the same gender in _Ma-Terrarum_.:

:Really: Harry's eyes widen in hope.

"_Haita._"

With a smile on his face, Harry continued to look at the gifts from the Weasley twins. It was a set of sampler gag-gifts and pranks. Harry grinned as he understood the gifts' purpose. Harry never wanted the proceeds from the twin's profits, but they had a strong business code, which lead them to a compromise. The twins would put Harry's share of the profits into a separate account, which will be given to Ginny on her seventeenth birthday, and Harry will test the new line of products at school. Putting the twins' gifts into his trunk, Harry opened Hermoine's gift. He smiled at the simple gift. It was _Occulemency for Dummies_. He had to chuckle, and he began skimming through finding useful information and snarky humor that reminded the youth of his Potions Master. However, his smile turned to a frown at Hermione's letter. Normally she would write once a week, and when his birthday came, Hermione would write a novella. Not that he complained. She was a beautiful writer, but this year's letter was short; barely a sentence. It read: _Happy Birthday, Harry! See you soon, I hope._

Harry quickly stood up and went to his desk. Quickly scribbling a message, Harry attached his note to Hedwig's leg. Both the snowy-night owl and the demon-guard sensed Harry's worry but remain quiet; awaiting for him to give an order or respond.

"Hedwig, go to Mina and don't return until she gives a proper response." Harry ordered as he set her free into the early moring lite. Harry looked at his clock. It was a quarter after five, and in another two hours his relatives will be awake. _I could care less about them, right now_.

"_Wata neus Shih'nus_?"

:Something is wrong with Mina.: Was all he said as he sat down on the bed. He looked at the twp remaining packages; one was from Remus and the other was from the Ministry of Magic. Harry put the letter from the Ministry in his back pocket and opened Remus' present. It was a photo album with a note attached. Carefully removing the note, Harry began to read it.

_Happy Birthday, Harry!_

_How've you been? I'm doing fine, and thank you for your last letter it brighten my day to know that you are well and being treated well. However, I have a funny feeling that you are not being truthful._

_How are your nightmares? Gone, I hope. Currently I am on Order business. I'll tell you about it when we see each other. I asked Dumbledor when we can expect you, but he has not replied. I do hope it is soon. I've missed you._

_About now you are wondering about your gift. It's a photo album of all photos Sirius had of your Mum and Dad, and the rest of us. The album is enchanted to provide extra pages whenever it is filled. I do expect to **never** see a blank page in this album, do you understand me, young man!_

_Well, I must be going. I hope to see you soon._

_Sincerely Yours,_

_Moony_

Harry smiled. Tucking the letter into the album as a bookmark, Harry seated himself on his bed and began looking through the album while Sirius finished off the marshmallow treats.

Standing in the parking lot outside London's mall, Harry watched the whale, piglet and horse-faced woman waddle/walked into the large building. Harry shook his head in disbelief. He tried to understand their logic, but their logic never made any sense. Here he was in the parking lot as his relatives entered the mall to award the piglet for a good deed he never did. Apparently "Duddlikens" stopped a shoplifter at one of his favorite candy stores. Harry snorted.

"_Karille teineo dar'fu? Wata neus oshirasi!_" Harry mumbled darkly; causing Sirius to snort in agreement. Harry looked down at his friend and smiled. He was shocked to see his friend's secret ability to transform into a small cream-colored cat with a single black line and dot on his neck, and silver tipped ears. Harry was surprised to see this form of his _youjin'tores_ after Dursley had sent him back to his room after making breakfast for them. Cat-Sirius looked up then jumped onto Harry's should, who awarded the demon-feline with a scratch underneath his jaw. Harry began his trek to the mall; a place he was never allowed to go. He smiled as he tucked his hands into the over-sized pants' packets and gently fingered the 250Pounds that he got from his preverted cousin. Harry smiled again, but it was a smile only a Slytherine-mother would love.

/Flashback

Upon hearing the bedroom door close, and a low and dangerous growl, Sirius opened an eye to an angry Harry. Giving his Master his attention, Harry began growling out profanities in _youm'-lingua_. Sirius frowned. Whatever the large walking lard had said, it really pissed his Master off. Sirius smirked; maybe now he could have some fun with these foul smelling _nin-nus_. Sirius waited for his Master to calm down. A few moments later Harry began telling Sirius the "good-deed" that "perfect little Dudley" had done the day before.

"_Wata neus oshirasi._" Siriues quietly replied.

:_Haita_. And now they are planning on going to the mall to award the fat pig.: Harry growled:Plus they're taking me with them.:

Sirius froze. This did not sound right. The _nin-nus_ hated his Master so why would they take him somewhere in the off-chance he could escape and/or find a moment of peace and enjoyment.

:They're taking me with them because they know I enjoy Ms. Figgs' place. She's the lady with all the cats: Harry commented in a rush:and they don't want me here all alone in their perfect home.: Harry growled.

Sirius frowned. The _nin-nus_ did not know their place. They should be made an example of. Again the room's temperature rose.

"Sirius, _teineo_." Harry ordered as he slowly counted to ten in his mind and calmed down. :We can't do anything to them...:

Although it was not said, Sirius clearly heard the word **yet**. Fine, the _nin-nus_ were safe for now. Suddenly Sirius and Harry froze as they heard the heavy footsteps of Harry's cousin as well as smelling his oily scent. Sirius quickly shifted to his feline form and curled among the cream colored sheets. Suddenly Harry smirked, which caused Sirius to freeze in concern for his Master's sanity. Sirius never seen that particular look, and it almost made him pity his Master's prey. Almost.

Harry quickly grabbed the _PlayWizard_ magazine hidden underneath the mattress, winked at Sirius to assure him and then placed it in the middle of the room. However, not before whispering to the cover, the vixen-witch giggled loudly as Harry casually left the room. _What is he planning?_ Sirius wondered. Remaining still, Sirius heard the magazine still giggling; it annoyed him but not as nearly as the oily scent that finally filled the room.

"Oh my! Aren't we a big boy!" The magazine suddenly gushed then began to coo at the over-sized _nin-nus_. Between the disgusting scent and ickly-sweet cooing, if it did not end soon, Sirius knew he would be violently ill or better yet he would be in an extremely violent and murderous mood. Suddenly the foul intruding scent was overpowered by the dominating scent of his Master: sandalwood, pine and redfruit. Unknowingly Sirius let out a deep breath; letting his Master's scent enter his lungs as he watched his Master and the piglet.

"Oh hello Dudley." Harry's voice was eerily calm. Harry mentally smirked as he watched the porker of a cousin quickly turn around and attempt to hide the magazine.

"What are you doing 'ere, Freak!" Dudley snapped; trying to cover his fear. It did not work; Harry could smell the bitter scent of fear, and it was appealling to his demon and human halves. However, instead of acting on his baser instincts, Harry calmly raised his hands to calm the fat _nin-nus_ down.

"Well, Dudley, this is my room." Harry reasoned as he began circling the being that took up most of the room. Suddenly Harry gasped as he used demon and Seeker speed to snatch the magazine out of his pudgy hands.

"Dudley!" Harry mocked gasp as he shook his head, "What are you doing with this?"

"N-none of your damn business, Pothead!"

"You know that your father would not approve." Harry sadly mumbled, "And it's a shame especially for all these girls. I guess I better give it to Uncle Ver--"

"NO!" Dudley shouted; causing Harry to wince at the noise volume.

_Gotcha!_

"What?" Harry exclaimed, "But Dudley, your father --"

"I don't care. I want it!" Dudley sneered, "Besides a freak like you wouldn't appreciate it."

Harry mentally counted to ten to keep himself from harming his relation but on the outside he looked thoughtful. He held the magazine close; having the cover facing Dudley. The vixen-witch on the cover gave Dudley large 'cracodile tears' and pleading with him to save her and her friends. Harry mentally smirked as he watched Dudley's eyes widen at the word 'friends'.

"You know, Dudley," Harry drew Dudley's attention back to him, "I don't want you to get into trouble so I'll just give it to Uncle Vernon."

"No, you don't, Freak." Dudley sounded desperate.

"Oh?"

"How much do you want?

"What!"

"How much money do you want for it!"

"Oh! Well..." Harry paused as if calculating the worth then kindly smiled, "How much is it worth to you?"

Dudley, too preoccupied in the magazine cover, failed to noticed the dangerous purr that laced Harry's voice. Harry knew that Dudley would give him whatever price that he asked but for the time being, Harry would allow his cousin to believe he had the upperhand. Suddenly Dudley disappeared; allowing Harry to openly smirk.

"Ooo! Aren't we very cunning, my little Slytherine Prince!" The magazine cooed; causing Harry to look at her questioningly. The cover-witch only giggled. Harry just simply smiled as he waited for his cousin to return. It was not long after the cover-witch's comment that Dudley returned, his little fat feet made enough noise that the neighbors could probably hear him; snatching the magazine and thrusting a wad of bills into Harry's hand.

"If I like what I got, you can keep the money. If not, I'm going to get it back!" Dudley threatened then left; not seeing the demon side of Harry in his emerald-green eyes and a dark grin on his face.

"Of course, Dudley, of course." Was all that Harry said as he put half of the money away and began packing his things into the trunk to take home to _Ma-Terrarum_.

End of Flashback/

:I think it's time for me to get some clothes of my own.: Harry replied as he entered the mall.

**Translations:**

**_Ben_ (youm'-lingua) - shit**

**_youjin'tores_ (youm'-lingua) - bodyguard**

**_damaclu_ (youm'-lingua) - be quiet**

**_ich'nus_ (youm'-lingua) - one**

**_nido_ (youm'-lingua) - two**

**_sares_ (youm'-lingua) - three**

**_yo-qua-tor_ (youm'-lingua) - four**

**_silentium_ (latin) - silence**

**_nin-nus_ (youm'-lingua) - human**

**_yathus_ (youm'-lingua) - bastard**

**_Neli-chopi_ youm'-lingua) - cat-butterfly**

**_ii-lus_ (youm'-lingua) - no**

**_ryuco_ (youm'-lingua) - dragon**

**_iedo_ (youm'-lingua) - place of residence**

**_katdo_ (youm'-lingua) - place of affection**

**_Haita_ (youm'-lingua) - yes**

**_Ma-Terrarum_ (youm'-lingua) - Demon World**

**_teineo_ (youm'-lingua) - stop**

**_an'tuus chipa_ (youm'-lingua) - your father**

**_wah'j-vir_ (youm'-lingua) - wench**

**_karille teineo dar'fu_ (youm'-lingua) - he stopped a thief**

**_wata neus oshirasi_ (youm'-lingua) - my ass**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4: _The Demonic Brother_

One normally would not associate a mall as a place to be afraid of. It, however, cannot be said that a mall is the most safest place in the world; a lot of petty crimes accure in a mall: shoplifting, pick-pocketing and of course outrageous pricing, but to one young woman, she was terrified but not for the reasons mentioned. She clung tightly to one of her three childhood friends, turned bodyguards. Her head bowed in effort to void looking at people and as a sign of shame. Her three friends brought her here in attempts to bring her back from the darkness of her mind, but as they looked upon her, they began to believe that this might have been a mistake. The mall was trimming with families and teenagers as it usually was during the summer holiday. The frighten young woman with curly brown hair was recently cut short; between her jaw and shoulder. She continued to keep her head down while the wavy curtain of hair hid her face. Every so often she would glance at her two friends by her side; while her third friend walked behind them. The curly haired woman bit her lower lip; she knew what her friends were trying to do, and she did not want to hurt their feelings. She did not want to come to the mall, but she did not want them to worry about her either. She felt unworthy, unclean of their friendship and concerns, but she felt she had to maintain the charade to keep them from worrying too much. _There's no need for good friends to worry about something unclean like me_. She thought to herself; stealing another glance at her friends.

To her right was Bobbi with an 'i', not a 'y'. During the summer holiday, Bobbi was a regular tomboy but then what do you expect when you family fosters a lot of boys during the summer. A sad smile graced the unnaturally timid young woman. _This would never happen to her._ The young woman thought. _She's too strong._

"We're saving Bobbi from too much testosterone!" Joey had explained as if it was the most natural explanation in the world, when the three girls came to her home earlier that day. Joey was to her left, and was Bobbi's cousin from Australia. She would always visit during the summer, and last but not least was Jen. During primary school the young woman and Jen would compete constantly against one another for the better mark in school; it was nothing vicious but a simple rivilary; pushing each other to their limits. Biting her lower lip again to the point it was bleeding, the curly haired young woman suddenly stopped. Reflecting on her friends and their friendship, the young woman could not hold the barrier any longer. Flashes of her nightmare flashed before her eyes. Her own cries and pleas echoed in her ears.

_How could this have happened?_ She thought as tears caressed her already tear stained cheeks._ How could this have happened to me! I'm a good person! Aren't I?_

Without realizing it, the curly haired friend was suddenly enveloped in a group hug. The three girls knew what happened to their strong friend. They hated seeing her like this; however, they hated seeing her trapped in her own mind even more. That was why they brought her here. Maybe it was a mistake.

"Come now, Hermi!" Joey started, "Let it awl out. No need ta be awfraid. We're 'ere for ya!"

"No one is going to hurt you!" Bobbi whispered gently.

"Sh. It's okay. Let it all out." Jen replied as she ran her fingers through Hermione's curly locks. She was with the terrified girl when she attempted her own haircut. _He pulled my hair!_ Was all Hermione said when Jen asked why.

"I-I wanna go home." Hermione's quiet voice was muffled by Joey's jacket. The three girls looked at one another and simply said, "Okay."

Joey still had her arm wrapped around Hermione as they began the trek back home. Suddenly Hermione paused for a second. They were standing in front of the Goldenbook Bookstore, but it was not the bookstore that caused Hermione to stop. In the back of her mind and in her heart, she felt a strange pull. It was strong, warm and comforting. As the pull became stronger, Hermione also felt a commanding presence in her mind; a presence she had felt before but could not name. It was strong, natural, wild and yet dark. She knew instinctually it would keep her safe and love her unconditionally. A small smile graced her face and touched her eyes.

"Hey Hermi?" Joey called.

"Hm?"

"You wanna go in?"

Hermione blinked as she looked at the bookstore. _Maybe..._ She thought as she began chewing her lower lip.

"I think LJ Krownig's new book is out." Jen replied.

"Really!" Joey was getting hyper. Joey loved LJ Krownig's books. They were about a young boy, who was the savior of an Elven Kingdowm, had strong magical powers in both Light and Dark Magic and was destined to destroy a Dark Elf King. Hermione chewed on her lower lip as she watched Joey practically pouncing in place. Closing her eyes, Hermione cleared her mind; allowing the pull and presence to wash over her and wrap her in its warmth. Giving her confidence that she could last a little bit longer in the open. _For Joey._ Hermione thought then nodded her head.

The three friends walked in while Joey ran to the section of her desire. Bobbi sighed in annoyance while Jen chuckled as she went to the reference section and mumbled about the latest computer software programs. Hermione walked with Bobbi to their favorite section; the Manga! It was amusing at first when Bobbi brought Hermione to this section years ago. Hermione was a bookworm; she loved to read. It was simple as that, but even a bookwarm desired fantasy, adventure with beautiful artistry.

All sense of time seem to have disappeared as the two friends looked through mangas, and Hermione began to relax among the familiar environment of books. Bobbi was grinning ear to ear. She was pleased to see her friend starting to feel safe.

"Hey! Is that you, Hermione Granger!" A male voice said from behind, and suddenly Hermione screamed. Bobbi turned around to see her once strong and defiant friend on the ground; cowering and a stranger looking scared and confused. Joey and Jen came running from their own little sections the moment they heard her scream. At once the three girls began shouting and questioning the confused boy. The boy slowly backed away trying to explain himself, but the girls would not hear him out. Suddenly he yelped as he was roughly spun around and came face to face with a pair of angry emerald eyes with flecks of molten gold and deep crimson. The girls became quiet as they watched a thin youth with unruly raven black hair growl at the terrified boy.

"Sirius." The emerald eyed youth barked. As commanded a cream-colored feline jumped down from his shoulder and went to the cowering girl. The cat mewed once, which caused the angry youth to growl even deeper. He pulled the youth closer so none save the boy could hear him.

"Now, _nin-nus_, what did you do to_ wata neus an'sor_." The enraged youth's voice sounded like a series of growls.

"Y-y-your w-w-what?"

The boy was scared.

"My sister."

"I-I-I didn't know she..."

"Answer the question, _nin-nus_." He bared his teeth to reveal a pair of sharp fangs.

"Nothing! I swear! I just touched her shoulder and she flipped!"

"You idiot!" Joey shouted with mumbles from the other two in agreement.

The raven haired youth growled then shoved the scared youth away, who took the oppurtunity to run. The girls were about to protest when they watched the raven haired youth dressed in obivious hand-me-down clothes that were five sizes too big for him cautiously crawl to their friend. He quietly crawled to her as not to alarm her and was ... _Purring!_ They looked at one another then at him. _Who the bloody hell is he?_ Echoed in their minds.

"Mina?" His voice became soft and gentle; it almost had a purring quality to it. "Mina? It's me, Harry."

_Mina?_ Hermione heard echoing in her mind. She knew of only one person who would call her that. _Harry!_ Suddenly the strange pull blossomed. It was telling her to go to the source; telling her that she would be safe, that she would be protected. Slowly recognition returned to Hermione's wide brown-hazel eyes as she stared into Harry's emerald eyes.

"**HARRY!**" Hermione cried as she threw herself into his awaiting arms.

Harry's quick reflexes kept them from falling, as he gathered her into his arms and carried her out of the tore; away from nosey on-lookers. Following behind him was the strange colored cat, the three girls were stunned, but it was Jen, who knocked them out of their daze as she went after the strange boy, who their friend trust unconditionally.

Harry did not venture far as he knew that the three girls with his _an'sor_, his older sister, knew what was wrong with her, and he was going to find out what. She reeked with fear; a scent that turned his stomache and enraged his demon blood. It took a lot of refrain from killing the _nin-nus_ boy, but it was the almost unaudioable whimper from Mina that prevented him. Now, she clung onto him like a life line. The bitter scent of salted tears stung his nose, but he did not care. His _an'sor_ was afraid, and he had to stop those fears. Harry found a bench nearby and sat down with Hermione still in his arms. He began to growl, very low and soft as a purr, a trait he recently discovered, in order to calm her down. It was working. The vibration from his chest began to calm the frighten witch; it even put her in a light doze.

Harry felt his ears twitch as the girls approached, but ignored them. They were no threat to him or his _an'sor_. One of the girls sat down next to him. Her blue eyes looked worried and a bit scared. Harry mentally smirked. He must be a sight to behold. A half-demon guised as a human wearing clothing meant for a baby whale and protectively holding onto a half asleep witch.

"Are you a friend?" The blue-eyed muggle asked. Harry grinned as he heard Sirius snort at the redundancy of the question.

"_Haita_." Harry replied then wince, "Yes, I'm a friend."

"She said Harry. Are you Harry Potter from School?" Another girl asked. Harry nodded and watched as the girls relaxed.

"What happened." Harry growled. The girls tensed as they heard the demand; no correction... It was not a demand. It was a command. However, before they could answer, Sirius began growling; too loud for a feline his size. Harry followed his companion's gaze and saw the piglet with his goons.

"Great." He growled.

"Hohoho, look at what the freak caught!" A goon on the left said in a nasal-pitched voice; causing Harry's and Sirius' ears to lay back in pain.

Suddenly the three girls placed themselves before their friend and the six boys. In front of the three girls was Sirius, who began to increase his body temperature. Normally it was a warning to anyone with some sense; however, the six goons had the intelligence of a flubberworm. It was the girls, who began to back off when they felt an increase of temperature from the tiny feline. Harry's growls deepened; causing Hermione to wake up.

"Harry?" Her soft voice whispered as she felt his annoyance and anger roll off of him in waves. She whimpered; causing Harry to look down at her. He weakly smiled.

"It's okay, Mina." He whispered as he slowly stood up. Hermione was on her feet but still in Harry's embrace.

"Oh, aren't she a beaut!" Another voice cackled, "Ay, cutie! Ditch da Freak and we'll show ya a good time!"

The cackling youth remarked as he grabbed his crotch. Only a child would be ignorant to the youth's vulgar statement, and Hermione was no child. Fear overwhelmed Harry's sensitive nose as he felt her grip tighten. The three girls suddenly burst to action and began attacking the cackling youth, while his friends watched and laughed. Harry smirked. _They make good youjin'tores for Mina._

"You're such a freak, Pothead!"

Harry's jaw clenched as the obnoxious sound of the piglet's voice reached his ears.

Hermione looked at the round youth and her eyes widen. _That's Dudley!_

"That is enough, you three." Harry commanding voice ordered. The three girls stopped; giving the whelp of a youth a chance to run. Harry noticed one of the girls was about to protest but quickly shut her mouth as she noticed the remaining five boys. The girls quickly came to Harry's side. Harry smiled at his frighten sister, who looked at him in confusion.

"Sirius, protect _wata neus an'sor_ and you may use whatever force necessary." Harry calmly said as he walked up to the porker of a cousin.

"What now Pothead? Ready to do your own fighting?" Dudley sneered; causing Harry to frown. _Is he trying to get under my skin? He's pathetic._

"You are pathetic." Harry calmly said.

"**WHAT!**" Dudley bellowed as his face turned a light shade of purple.

"Careful _Duddikens_, you might bust an artery."

Suddenly a low chuckled could be heard; causing Dudley to turn around. Harry could tell he was ready to throw a punch but did not. _Curious. I thought Dudley was the leader of this group?_ Harry noticed a lanky youth with bleach striked black hair. He was nicely dressed; a sign that he was rich. Harry did not care. This youth was no threat, but the goons were and that did not bode well with Harry's demon side. _/Protect/_ The word echoed in Harry's mind like a deadly mantra, and nothing short of a killing curse will stop him from doing so.

"So, you are Harry Potter." The rich youth's velvety voice stated as he looked at Harry as if he were some prize piece then he frowned. "Dudley told me you were ugly, but I guess he was wrong."

"Aw, come on Sam!" Whined one of the more lanky youths behind Dudley, "You can't be serious!"

"Shut up." A bulky youth behind the ringleader barked; causing Harry to arch an eyebrow.

Slowly Sam walked up to Harry as he continued to appraise the young demon-wizard. Harry growled as the baser side of him thought _/Prey. Not Predator/_ Suddenly he turned around and stared straight into the youth Sam's eyes. Harry growled again; bared his fangs and smirked as he picked up the bitter scent of fear. However, as quickly as the scent of fear came it was covered with another scent. It was musky. Harry frowned a bit. _Need to ask Siri 'bout that._ He mentally noted.

"Hmm." Sam murmured, "I can tell that you and I are in two different leagues."

"Is that so?" Harry commented, "Then you would know that it will be a waste of time to fight me."

"A waste of time, true, but it would be very interesting to watch." Sam replied as he stepped back.

Suddenly Harry side stepped as the blubber form of his cousin crashed onto the mall floor. Sam smirked while Harry watched his cousin pick himself up.

"Is that the best you can do, _Duddikens_?" Harry asked.

"Harry!" Hermione cried. Harry looked over to her and smiled. She slowly relaxed but frowned at his antics. Harry knew she did not approve of his behavior, but at the moment, these _nin-nus_ needed to learn a lesson in respecting their betters. Plus he also wanted to show this Sam character that _he _ was not some prize to be won nor bullied. Harry was the Predator, and Sam was the Prey.

Sam chuckled as the baby whale became an interesting shade of purple and charge again at Harry. Again Harry side stepped and gave his cousin a 'gentle' shove into an open waste basket. Sam and his bodyguards chuckled as Dudley's closer friends came to his side. Harry just stood there indifferent to his cousin's problems. His eyes flickered toward his sister, who was quietly cheering him on. She knew of the horrors and grief that his cousin put him through growing up. Suddenly his gaze went beyond her to four security guards coming their way, and apparently he was not the only one to spot them; Sam did as well.

"It would seem that little rat called security." Sam hissed. Harry looked at him with an arched eyebrow. It was curious to see the handsome ringleader suddenly become ugly when angered. Sam turned to Harry, "We'll meet again, Mr. Potter."

"I highly doubt that." Harry remarked.

Sam smiled again as he and his bodyguards left; leaving Harry, the girls and Dudley with his small crew.

"Harry!" Hermione cried as she came up to her best friend. Harry smiled as he waited for the security guards to approach.

"**POTHEAD!**" Dudley bellowed, which brought everyone's attention including one Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia.

Harry noticed their approach as well as the security guards and quietly muttered a few colorful oaths in English and in demon-tongue. He pushed Hermione behind him as he watched his uncle come closer. Without warning Harry's head snapped to the right while his left cheek stung from Vernon's fist.

"Harry!"

"**HEY!**"

The girls' outcry echoed along with the guards; however, he heard none of it as Harry tried to reign in his demon blood. It cried for his uncle's blood. It cried for him to show the walking lard who was master, who was stronger. He took in a deep breathe and began counting down from ten. Mentally promising himself that he would let the demon out later this evening. The promise worked as the veil of red began to subside.

"That is enough!" One of the guards bellowed as he shot a nasty look at the obese man and horse-faced woman, who fretted over he equally obese son.

"Now, what in God's name is going on!"

"That freak had his bitches attack my friend and then he attacked me!" Dudley shrieked as he began to sob in his mother's arm; causing Harry to growl while Hermione's three girlfriends shouted in protest. The security guard ordered everyone to be quiet when Vernon suddenly bellowed that he wanted charges pressed against Harry.

"Harry!" Hermione whimpered. Harry quickly looked down as the scent of fear overwhelmed him. Hermione was trapped in the midst of everyone and whatever was plaguing her seemed to resurface in her mind. Quickly Harry gathered her into his arms as he backed away.

"**YOU BOY! STOP!**" Uncle Vernon bellowed; drawing everyone's attention.

"Sod off, _yathus_." Harry growled as he placed Hermione on a bench. He began purring and rubbing small circles on her back.

He did not see the comical and yet dangerous expression on the purple faced boar of a man.

"Young man that is no way to treat your elders." A young female security officer approached; causing Harry to roll his eyes, then asked, "What's wrong with your friend?"

Before Harry could reply, Dudley remarked not so quietly, "Damn bitches stick together."

Before Aunt Petunia, the female officer and Hermione's girlfriends could say anything to Dudley, Dudley was squealing like a pig being slaughtered, and Harry was on top of him; punching his face. It took all four security officers and the three young girls to remove Harry from his cousin.

"I want that Boy thrown in jail!" Uncle Vernon bellowed as the seven individuals attempted to restain an enraged Harry.

"Calm down young man!" Each officer mumbled to the emerald eyed youth; however, their words were not having any affect. It was hard for Harry to calm down when he smelled the bitter scent of fear from Hermione, the sweet scent of fear from his cousin, and variety of spiced scents of anger from his captures. These mixed scents were reaking havoc on his self-control. His demon blood was calling for blood; mainly the blood of those who made his life horrible and now caused terror in one of his own.

"**HARRY!**" Hermione cried as she managed to push her way to his person. Harry did not noticed his _an'sor_'s approach until her gentle peppermint and sage scent hit his sensitive nose.

Harry's body suddenly relaxed as Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck. Slipping his arms free from the stunned officers, Harry enveloped Hermione in a tight hug; using her to calm both himself and her down. Rubbing small circles on her back, Harry watched his restrainers relax and step back; giving the two their peace.

"I want that Freak thrown in jail!" Uncle Vernon continued to bellow; annoying Harry and the security guards.

"Alright sir," One of the security guards sighed then turned to Harry, "The gentleman has the right to press charges since you attacked his son."

"Though the little bugger deserved it." Another guard mumbled.

_Agreed_. Harry thought to himself, "I understand sir."

"If you wish to press charges then come to the Security Post to fill out the necessary paperwork."

"Very well." Uncle Vernon growled out as he followed one of the security officers.

Harry's eyes narrowed on the retreating form of his uncle. Slowly he released his hold on his _an'sor_ and smiled. He looked up at her friends. He did not need to say anything; they knew that he was expecting them to protect Hermione. Looking at the remaining officers, Harry smiled as he motioned the security guards to lead the way.

Sitting Indian-style on the bench in the tiny jail cell, Harry closed his eyes as he thought over what happened in the mall. He frowned as he thought over Hermione's behavior. Yes, the girl in the mall was his best friend and sister; his nose told him that much as well as his eyes, but something happened to her strong-willed spirit to make it unbelievably fragile, and it unnerved him that it would happen. However, what really unnerved him was his lack of control over his demon blood; it scared him even more. Oh sure, he could use the benefits of going into his blood rage, especially if good ol' Voldie was on the recieving end of said rage, but it was his relatives, who recieved his wrath. Okay, his cousin deserved it; Harry was not ashamed to admit it, but in his opinion, it was beneath him to really fight his cousin. No, it was not because he was a wizard and his cousin was a Muggle nor because he was a half-demon and his cousin human. It was because Harry had better opponents to fight, who were worth his time and spent energy. He sighed deeply.

"I'm going to need some discipline. Some serious discpline." He mumbled to himself. Then a dark smirk graced his face as he found a warpped sense of humor in remembering his snarky Potions Master's snide remarks. _Oh yeah, HE would get a good laugh out of that... Oh well._

Leaning back, Harry wondered about the time when his ears began twitching to the soft echoes of several footsteps. Shrugging the sounds off, Harry closed his eyes again and hoped for a quick cat nap... Or would it be a dog-nap? Harry ignored the approaching echoes of footsteps; however, quickly making out the two distincts steps; both male. Hidden behind his concealment spell, Harry's ears perked up when the steps stop in front of his humble cell.

"Evening Mr. Potter." The guard politely said. The guard was one of the few police officers to ask him why he was there, especially with him being so polite and respectful.

"Good evening, sir." Harry answered then noticed his guest. Discreetly he sniffed the air and picked up a masculine version of his _an'sor_'s scent. Harry looked closely and noticed a few similarities between this older man and his _an'sor_. This man had wavy brown hair with spakles of gray and warm brown eyes; just like Hermione's.

"Mister Granger?"

"Well, it's good to finally met you, Mr. Potter. Hermie has told us a lot about you." Mr. Granger said with a genuine smile. Harry returned the smile then arched his eyebrow as the guard opened his cell and motioned him out.

"Hermie told us what happened so my wife and I decided to post your bail."

"Ah!"

"Though I am surprised that your own uncle would have you thrown here." Mr. Granger continued as he, Harry and the guard went to collect Harry's personal affects. Harry just shrugged.

Of course Harry was grateful that the Grangers posted his bail; however, he had a more pressing issue plaguing him since seeing Mr. Granger. Surely his _an'sor_'s own father would know what happened to his own child, and Harry was going to find out, but in the middle of a police station was not a place for an interrogation. Harry will wait, though not for long.

It was only a few minutes later, and Mr. Granger continued expressing his displeasure at his own cousin's behavior. Harry allowed a ghost of a smile pass by his lips. _Now, I know where she gets her rambling from._ Harry thought. They were in the parking lot of the police station when Harry suddenly stopped and looked directly at the back of Mr. Granger's head. _Now would be good._ The young wizard-lord thought. The elder was nervous; judging from the sour scent coming off of him, when he heard Harry stopped.

Mr. Granger was no fool. He listened to his daughter's tales from school. He was also no wizard, but he knew that Harry Potter was powerful and dangerous when provoked. He was practically suffercating when he stood next to Harry as Harry's presence pulsed with power. He also knew that this powerful young man saw Hermione as family. Mr. Granger knew that once this powerful youth knew what happened to his once proud daughter, the young man would want blood. His vengeful side was begging for him to tell the youth what happened to his daughter, but his rational side was rather wary of unleashing this walking time bomb. He did not have to wait much longer.

"What happened to Hermione."

Mr. Granger could hear the growls coming from the angered youth. His muscles tighten while a primal and ancient side in all humans was screaming for him to run! Slowly he turned around, mentally chiding himself on his stupidity, and looked at the Wizarding World's Savior. Stepping back immediately, he quickly understood why the small child recieved such a holy title and why the menace Voldemort feared him. Harry Potter was the embodiment of raw power!

Licking his lips, Mr. Granger's eyes widen as he watched Harry's emerald greens glowed against the night shadows. Suddenly Mr. Granger blinked as his eyes played frightening tricks or so he told himself. If asked in the courts, Mr. Granger would swear that he saw molten gold and bloody crimson flecks. The air was alive with raw power, and the night sky echoed with glass cracking under pressure. _So much power!_ Mr. Granger thought fearfully. Taking a deep breath Mr. Granger came to one conclusion: he pitied his daughter's rapist for he will not know mercy once Harry found him.

"My daughter was raped." Mr. Granger uttered those words so softly that none save those with keen ears could have heard him.

Suddenly Mr. Granger yelped in shock as he watched glass shatter and all power cease to flow. Quickly looking arund, Mr. Granger noticed the entire block was without power and without light on this moonless night. Only a pair of enraged emerald-green eyes with flecks on molten gold and deep crimson could been seen in the night's darkness.

Tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for someone to answer the door at Privet Drive #4, a one Severus Snape growled silently at his misfortuned lot. It was his misfortune that he was the only member of the Order of the Phoenix available at Grimmauld Place. It was his misfortune that he could not hide from the Headmaster and his damned twinkling eyes. It was his misfortune that his quiet summer holiday was now interrupted; no thanks to one Harry Bloody Potter. The Headmaster believed that it would be safe to relocate Potter to Grimmauld Place thus Severus torment of being in this too muggle of a neighborhood.

Impatiently Severus rang the doorbell a second time. Sneering at the English oak door as he heard the bellow voice of Potter's Uncle. Seconds later the front door opened wide to reveal... well, the open door revealed half of the muggle's form. Again Severus sneered in disgust at the unnatural sized of the man. _Sweet Merlin! He's huge!_ His mind gasped while memories from Harry's Occulmency session began to surface. Suddenly his eyes narrowed as he attempted to make sense of this muggle's aura. The oversized behemeth's aura was a mixture of glee and annoyance, which was surprisingly boarding on anger. Well then, Severus will have to show this walking whale a thing or two about annoyance.

"What do you want? I'm a very busy man!" The overgrown whale bellowed.

_Busy stuffing his face!_

"I'm here for Potter." Severus replied coolly. Suddenly the muggle's aura changed from boarding anger to complete rage; causing Severus to noticed muggle's red face turn an unhealthy purple. The muggle's nose flared dangerously like a mad bull. The muggle began bellowing incoherent strings of words, but one thing stuck out as it triggered another memory belonging to Harry: Freak.

Beautiful onyx eyes glared dangerously at the fat man while his hand itched for his wand. No muggle calls him, Severus Snape, a freak and lived. No muggle called a wizard a freak and lived. Oblivious to the danger before him, Potter's Uncle continued his rant. Severus took a deep breath while his eye twitched in irritation and jaw clenched tight, and yet surprisingly the only thought echoed through the dark wizard's mind was;_ How did Har-Potter live through this?_ Suddenly Severus was snapped out of his musings by something wet on his face. Onyx eyes glared at the beady black pair while a pair of slender and elegant fingers wiped his face free from the foul substance. _This... This muggle spat on me!_ All hell broke loose.

"You listen to me, you blubbious walking lard." Severus calmly and coolly said as his wand snapped out of his holster and pointing between the muggle's beady eyes, "I don't care what you think of Potter but to insult an adult wizard will get you killed; especially if said wizard is me, Mr. Dursely. And believe me, nothing would give me more pleasure than to show you the proper conduct when dealing with a wizard. Now, my patience is dwindling, and when my patience is gone, I am not a pleasant individual to deal with, understood. Good. Now, I want Potter, and I want him **_NOW_**!"

Severus voice never rose above his calm tone but the underlying threat was there. Although Severus looked calm, cool and indifferent to the muggle's behavior, he, in fact, was extremely pissed off, and it was noticable by a number of glass windows cracking in the house. A pitiful squeak came from behind the blub in fornt of him.

"He's in jail! Where he belongs! That damned Freak! Should have drowned 'im when we got 'im!" The pitiful squeaker shouted.

Suddenly Severus' eyes widen in pure horror; mainly because he knew that the squeaker was serious and that the squeaker was Lily's own blood sister. Narrowing his eyes and smirking in dark pleasure as his mind began quickly calculating which potions and what dosage would cause the greatest amount of damage and pain to the muggle before him and Lily's bitch of a sister. Severus watched the muggly squirm under his calm and yet murderous glare. Severus quickly quelled his first reaction to hex the insolent creature to oblivion. Taking a deep breath, he turned on his heel, but not before making a mental note to come back later.

Stalking up to the parked 1957 Ford Falcon Convertiable, Severus began planning his next course of action. First, find Potter and make his life a living hell, and second, make that obnoxious muggle pay for spitting on him. Oh yes, his summer was looking a bit better now. Climbing behind the driver's seat, Severus sighed and began his trip to London.

"That brat will be the death of me." He softly mumbled to mask his true feelings of worry.

Looking up at the quiet two story cottage-style home, Severus felt two strange pulls at his heart and mind. At first he thought it was the Dark Lord trying to break through his mental defenses, but quickly dismissed it, especially when he felt that the stronger of the two pulls wrapping itself around his core; giving him comfort and easing the tension from his muscles. Two sensations that were NEVER associated with the Dark Lord.

He did not like that. He did not like the fact that his pent up annoyance and anger were melting away. He wanted to be mad when he confronted Ha-Potter. Ignoring the stronger pull, Severus' curiosity went toward the other pull. It was more subdued as if the owner was resting, and it seemed to want to hide, which startled Severus. Why would anyone want to hide from the others, especially when the desire to hide was evenly matched with a sense of shame?

Shaking his head, Severus walked up to the front door of the Grangers'. He recieved their address from the Desk Sergeant at the police station, which he discovered was the epic center of a block-wide black out. The officer was more than happy to give Severus the address as he and his fellow officers were busy keeping the detainees under wraps. The area was pulsing with Ha-Potter's (he really needed to remember his dislike for the brat) energy signature. At first Severus believed that Potter (that was better) was being reckless, but after further observation, Severus knew the black-out was not intentional, which worried him, as if he would ever admit it.

Knocking on the door, Severus waited but not for long. _Well, I can definitely see the resemblance._ Severus thought as he looked at the slightly graying man.

"Mr. Granger, I presume." Severus stated rather than asked. The man looked at him questioningly.

"Yes?" His suspicion of Severus was obvious.

"My name is Professor Severus Snape. I'm a professor at Hogwarts."

"Oh!" Mr. Granger exclaimed, "Please, do come in! It's a pleasure to meet you! Hermie has told us a good deal about. All good, I assure you."

_I'm sure._ Severus sneered as Mr. Granger continued to babble.

"And you dare say she gets it from me!" A youthful middle-aged woman jabbed.

"Hunh?"

_Oh yes, I definitely see a family resemblance._ Severus thought a bit amused.

"Oh yes, where's my manners, Martha. This is Professor Severus Snape from Hogwarts. Professor Snape, my wife Martha, and I'm George."

"Oh!" Martha exclaimed, "It's a pleasure to met one of Hermie's professors."

"It is." Severus purres, "I can see where Ms. Granger gets her tendencies from."

"Which one? Her babbling when she's nervous, or her fiery temper, Sir?" Commented an amused voice.

Turning around sharply, Severus' eyes narrowed on the lanky raven-haired youth. An elegant black eyebrow suddenly shot up when he noticed the bane of his existence wearing worn-in, over-sized clothing and a pale yellow apron with the print saying: Kiss the Cook. Bemused onyx eyes met curious emerald-green. Potter shrugged at Severus' unasked question; causing Severus narrowed his eyes once again.

"Mrs. Granger, the chicken are done."

"Thank you!" Martha followed Ha-Potter (dammit! Remember its the brat!) into the kitchen.

"So, what do we owe this pleasure?" Mr. Granger asked.

"I'm here to gather Potter."

Suddenly Mr. Granger's demeanor changed. Although Severus' expression betrayed no emotion, he was taken aback at the sudden change. _What caused this?_

"If you plan on punishing Harry for what he did then I'm sorry, Professor Snape, but you'll have to deal with me."

Again an elegant eyebrow arched at the threat.

"What can a muggle, such as yourself, do to me, a fully liscensed wizard?" Severus, not one to be threatened, threatened back.

"Not much but enough to give Harry a chance to run."

Severus frowned. He highly doubted that Mr. Granger could actually stall him for long.

"Okay! Dinner is ready." Mrs. Granger slowly called as she observed her husband and their guest have a stare-off. Severus paid her little attention; however, Ha-Potter did when he walked by.

"It's alright, Mr. Granger." Harry (gaddammit! It's Potter! Potter! Potter! Potter! A wait a minute...) calmed the angered muggle. Suddenly the small hairs on Severus' nape of his neck stood erect as the dark wizard felt a change in the Golden Boy. Severus knew from past experience that Potter would have thrown a tantrum at the prospect being punished by him, but this time... The young Gryffindor was showing the lion's courage and protectiveness but his eyes! _Oh sweet Merlin!_ _His eyes are..._ Severus thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Granger's uncertain voice.

"But Harry, you don't deserve to be punished for..."

"I am certain that Professor Snape is not here in regards to that." Harry calmly interrupted as he kept eye-contact with the Potions Master.

"You seem confident, Potter." Severus sneered in attempt to hide his unease, uncertainty and other emotions that he did not which to name then tensed as the tension was broken by a loud growl. All attention, save for Ha-Potter, was turned to a petite cream-colored cat with glowing red eyes.

"_Teineo._" Harry's (okay, this time he's Harry) tone reflected unquestioning authority, which visibly startled Severus. Onyx eyes widen as the Potions Master's attention returned to the insufferable brat with the soul piercing emerald green eyes. _What the fuck!_

The strange feline stopped growling; however, not its dark glare at the Professor, which brought Severus' attention back to the feline. Not one to back down from a staring contest, Severus returned the feline's dark glare. After a few moments, a quiet chuckle drew both combatants' attention to one Harry Bloody Potter.

"Is there something amusing?" Severus challenged.

"Oh yes, there is." Potter commented then turned to Mrs. Granger, "I'll get Mina."

"Of course, Harry." Mrs. Granger politely answered, "George, set the table."

Her tone left no room to argue as Mr. Granger mumbled a 'Yes ma'am'. Severus lightly smirked, which quickly disappeared when he noticed Martha expectedly looking at him.

"Yes?"

"Go wash your hands and be at the table in 5."

"I beg your pardon?"

"_Didn't promise ya a rose garden..._"

Severus blinked as Martha smiled gently.

"Nothing, but don't expect not to join us for dinner, Professor Snape. You are a guest, and I never turn a guest away."

"Ah! Of course!"Severus responded numbly.

"The bathroom is upstairs. First door on the left." Martha politely directed as she disappeared once again into the kitchen.

Warily climbing up the stairs for the strange feline was on the top of the staircase glaring at him, and in his line of work, Severus learned to listen to his instincts, and at the moment, they were telling him to watch out for that creature. As soon as he walked past the feline and past the first door on his right, Severus noticed the cream-colored cat had walked into said room on the right. Curious as to what was in the room, Severus quietly listened to a pair of soft voices.

"You're still here!" Remarked surprised a feminine voice, which Severus guessed to be Granger, followed by a gentle chuckle.

"Of course, I'm still here, Mina." Ha-Potter's (It's Potter! Potter! Bloody Potter!) voice reassuringly replied.

"I was afraid."

"Of what?" Thick silence.

"I was afraid that you'll think I... I..." The girl's voice began to crack followed by a dreadful sob.

"Hush, _an'sor_, hush," Ha-Potter (what the bloody fuck!) began, "what happened to you was not your fault! I will always be here for you. _An'tu irume has wata neus an'sor imasu_. You are my sister."

"Promise?"

"_Haita!_"

Severus frowned. _Something is not right here._ The Potions Master thought as he leaned against the wall. _Something must have happened to the Granger girl, not that I care. But since when did Har-Potter! Goddammit! But since when did Potter speak another language, aside from Paseltongue?_ Severus stopped in his musing when he heard the two exiting the room. A bit wary of what to do, Severus just waited. The first to exit the dark room was Potter, whose haunting emerald greens narrowed on him but said nothing, with the feline perched on his shoulder and Granger, who was surprised by his presence and yet trailed behind the Golden Boy; only to occasionally look behind her at him with uncertainty and a little fear. At first Severus wanted to make a snide remark in regards to the girl's fear but quickly stopped himself. The girl with Potter was not the same girl from May. It was as if the headstrong witch was replaced with this frightful and fragile one, and it troubled Severus for he knew that she and the other two of the Golden Trio had faced-down evil time and time again and never once showed any sign of fear before. This was unnatural for the young witch he knew._ It's as if she's afraid of being attacked._ Severus frown deepened as he went to the bathroom to wash his hands for dinner. It would seem that he stumbled upon a mystery; one he planned on solving.

**Translations:**

**_nin-nus_ (youm'-lingua) human**

**_wata neus an'sor _(youm'-lingua) my sister**

**_haita _(youm'-lingua) yes**

**_youjin'tores _(youm'-lingua) bodyguard**

**_yathus _(youm'-lingua) bastard**

**_teineo _(youm'-lingua) stop**

**_An'tu irume has wata neus an'sor imasu. _(youm'-lingua) You are my sister.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5:_ The Demon's Territory_

A blind man could see Potter's indifference to the scolding he was receiving from his Head of House, and normally Severus would sneer at the boy's insolence but after witnessing his interaction with Granger, Severus knew that there was more to the matter of Potter being in jail than the Golden Boy was leading on. A part of Severus was impressed at the boy's resolve to keep quiet even under the Headmaster's disapproving stare; however, only a small part of him was impressed while the rest of him was curious at the boy's sudden change in behavior and stance. Prior to arriving to Grimmauld Place, Severus noticed Potter was relaxed around him. The boy was never relaxed in his presence! **_EVER!_** But that changed the moment the trio stepped foot into Phoenix Headquarters. Severus knew he did a double take as he observed the instant transformation that Potter underwent.

One moment Potter was relaxed, and Granger was comfortable with a bit distance away from his protective stance then the next Potter's posture was stiff (just oozing a challenge to anyone who recognized the obvious language) and stood protectively in front of Granger, who huddled closer to his person. Severus was surprised that Mad-Eye Moody did not hex the boy for glaring at the Ex-Auror with a glare that even _he_ was impressed by; bloody hell, Severus was surprised that Minerva did not hex Potter for his dismissive demeanor towards her and yet... He was very responsive to Molly. Currently as all the key members of the Order of the Phoenix, save for the Wolf, stood in the kitchen, Severus could not help notice Potter's body language was similar to that to the werewolf's, especially after a full moon. It was as if Potter was establishing his presence, establishing his dominance, his role as alpha, over those near him, which troubled Severus a bit. Potter's body language toward Molly and a few others, including himself, were friendly and accepting while toward the rest, Potter was although not overtly rude but still off standish.

As Minerva continued to lecture him; conveying her disappointment in Potter's behavior, Serevus took the time to note some change in Potter's physical appearance. Although still small for his age, Severus duly noted the boy's lithe form. It strangely remained the dark wizard of a sleek hunter. Potter's unruly black mane grew a bit and clipped back by a ribbon, but hidden in the sea of raven black hair, Severus noticed something gold. Narrowing his eyes, Severus was mentally surprised to see two golden earring cuffs in his upper right ear. Severus mentally frowned at himself for failing to noticed the earrings earlier, but then again he was preoccupied mostly by Potter's clothing. At first Severus thought Potter looked comical wearing the oversized garments then eventually he thought Potter looked cute in the oversize clothes, though Severus never admit it, and now... Well, aside from the fact that Potter's body language was screaming authority, but Potter really did look rather childish trying to intimitate or at least look indifferent to everything in those oversized clothes. Severus quickly quashed the urge to smirk at Potter's new appearance, and returned his attention to the matter at hand. Apparently Severus was not the only one to notice subtle changes in Potter nor did they fail to notice that Potter was not really paying attention to Minerva's lecture.

"Harry." Dumbledor's tone was of great disappointment. Severus noticed Potter's eyes focused on the ancient sage. Severus frowned when he noticed a flicker of regret in Potter's eyes, but it quickly disappeared. Dumbledor sighed and began to speak when suddenly a blood crudling scream echoed throughout the Noble House of Black. Quickly looking at Potter, Severus paled at the pure horrorified expression on Potter's face. Only one word passed through the youth's lips before he disappeared out of the kitchen.

"Mina!"

"**RON! LET HER GO! LET HER GO NOW!**" The warning cries fell on deaf ears as they were drowned out by a blood-chilling scream. Helpless on what to do, a young fiery-red haired witch watched as her brother kept hold onto the thrashing young witch as he attempted to calm the girl down without much success. His every attempt seemed to cause the bushy-brown haired girl to panic more. Incoherent words flowed out of the thrashing young witch, which caused the youngest of the magic-wielders to be really concerned for her friend's sanity. Dark words such 'please', 'stop', 'no more' and 'help' echoed in the room. These nightmarish words invoked the younger girl's own deep-seeded nightmare from her first year at school. She was powerless, but this time she will not be again; she swore to herself. Trying once more to get her foolish brother to release the frighten brunette, the younger witch suddenly gasped as she witnessed with wide-eyes the wizard she idealized grasped her brother and threw him across the room with no effort. Acting purely on instinct, the phoenix-red head witch rushed over to the other girl gathered the older witch into her and watched the Boy-Who-Lived slowly stalk toward her dazed brother. _As a predator would stalk a prey._ The phoenix-fire red haired ominously thought. Painfully aware that she had to do something quick before something serious happened to her brother.

"HARRY! PLEASE! STOP!" She cried in hopes to catch his attention. She relaxed as she watched him stop his advance. His fist were clutching and unclutching as he tried to regain his temper. The younger witch began whispering to the older girl; trying to calm her down but the elder's sobs and tears kept coming. She did not know when Harry came and gathered the tear-stained girl and herself into his own arms until she felt the warm vibration coming from his chest and heard the unmistakeable sound of purring. Her pale green eyes widen as she listened and felt Harry purr as he murmured soft words to the frighten witch in their arms. Feeling a bit claustaphobic, the younger witch attempted to slip out of Harry's protective embrace; only to be startled into covering the older girl's form with her own body when Mad-Eye Moody suddenly bellowed out or more like demanding an explanation on what was happening. All the noise was scaring the older girl even worse and pissing Harry off. Before the young witch could react to prevent Harry from doing something reckless, she found herself having the older bushy-haired girl attempting to merge into her own body, and the young witch herself staring at Harry's back as he faced the adults. Her eyes widen as she watched Harry's body tense with just barely surpressed rage. _Oh boy, this is not going to get ugly and quick._ The young witch thought as she took Harry's position in attempts to calming the older witch down. Of course, she could not purr, which was obviously more effective in calming the elder down, so she began to hum.

"What in Merlin's bread is going on!" Mad-Eye Moody growled, which caused Harry to turn his attention specifically on the Ex-Auror. His body tensed as he subconsciously shifted his body to take on more of an aggressive stance. Harry's entire stance was challenging the Ex-Auror and the others with him until Professor Snape appeared. The phoenix-fire red head noticed Harry's body relax a little bit when Professor Snape pushed himself into the room, but she knew that Harry's attention was still fixed on Mad-Eye Moody. Although blind to Harry's facial expression, she had seen him mad a number of times in the past that she can mentally picture the look of fury on his face.

"Mister Weasley, please, take Ron out of here before I _really_ lose my temper." Harry's voice was low; it almost had a growl like quality to it, which added the heaviness of Harry's threat.

"Answer the bloody question, Potter!"

"Alastor!" Dumbledor's voice rose a bit; drawing attention to him. "I'm sure Harry has an explanation for all this."

Dumbledor pointedly looked at Harry. The younger witch held her breath; causing the older girl to slightly trumble. Under the direct look of Dumbledor, the younger witch wondered how long Harry will last before he would explaining everything. Although Harry's body seem to visibly relax, his posture did not. Harry stood tall as if in command, his arms folded across his chest, and his emerald-green eyes stared directly into the ancient wizard's pale blue eyes. Nothing seem to happen as the Wizarding World's most powerful Wizards stare at each other. Suddenly Dumbledor blinked and took a subtle step back as if suddenly afraid of Harry. In response Harry turned on his heel and turned his attention on the two witches, completely ignoring Dumbledor and the collection of gasps behind him.

"Mina?" Harry's voice was soft and gentle as he gently stroked Hermione's short hair. She did not repsond. Harry sighed deeply as he hung his head.

"Harry?"

"Hm?"

"What's wrong with Hermione?"

A thick pause surrounded the three of them. The younger witch noticed the adults straining to hear. She knew that Harry was aware of them as well.

"A nightmare, Gin. A nightmare." Harry vaguely replied as he suddenly gathered Hermione into his arms. His emerald eyes bored into Gin's own pale green eyes; his eyes silently commanding her to follow. Turning around, the three teens faced the adults. Dumbledor frowned at Harry's behavior as the younger wizard walked past them without a second thought. Gin watched Harry pause for a moment as he turned toward Professor Snape.

"Professor Snape," Shock was evident on everyone's face as Harry politely spoke toward the Order's spy, "could it be possible to give me some Calming and Dreamless Droughts for Mina?"

Taken totally by surprise, Gin moved closer to Harry to see Professor Snape's expression. It was unreadable save for the brief cluster of confusion flicking by before the Professor's usual cold mask was back on. Gin watched the dark Professor sneer then quickly turned around to disappear into his room. Quickly looking at Harry, Gin found herself startled to see him smiling before continuing to Sirius Black's old room.

"Harry?" Gin's voice was barely above a whisper as she followed him into the bedroom.

"Come, let's get her into bed." The Boy-Who-Lived simply said.

"**EVER **pull a stunt like that again on Hermione! I. Will. Make. You. Pay." Harry growled out each word. While calming Mina down and giving her Snape's potions, Harry listened with suppressed anger as Ginny explained what happened. After ensuring that Mina was safe under Ginny's watchful care, Harry stormed into the kitchen, where he found his red-haired friend being cooed over by his mother.

"**HARRY!**" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed in shock. Harry ducked his head and lowered his eyes as his demon side acknowledged Mrs. Weasley's disapproval. Taking a deep breath, Harry returned his gaze upon Ron, who was pale as a ghost. Out of instinct, Harry bared his teeth at his friend and lowered his eyes when Mrs. Weasley scolded the wizard-lord again.

"I'm sorry." Harry's apology was soft that Mrs. Weasley almost missed it.

"It's okay, Harry-dear." Mrs. Weasley replied as a gentle hand ran through Harry's unruly raven colored mane. Submissively Harry leaned his head toward the mother's touch. "How is Hermione?"

Harry's eyes dropped half closed as Mrs. Weasley continued to run her fingers through his hair; completely unaware of Ron's stare of disbelief.

"She's asleep. Gin and Siri are watching her."

"Siri?" Mrs. Weasley asked. Before Harry could reply, Harry's sensitive nose picked up the gentle scent of cypress, cedarwood and strangely enough orange flowers. Mentally smiling, Harry turned his attention toward the owner of that scent.

"Thank you for the potions, Professor Snape." Harry politely annouced; startling Mrs. Weasley from her menstration and startling Ron into another state of shock.

Professor Snape stood in the entry way of the kitchen. His onyx eyes reflected his shock, but it quickly disappeared. Harry found it interesting that his heighten senses allowed him to see Snape far more clearly than before, and he found that he liked it. A corner of his lips twitched upward upon reflection. Suddenly the air was invaded by a multitude of scents; namely the scent of decaying age. Closing his eyes, Harry concentrated on Snape's unique scent, which he found did not give him a severe headache. Cypress, cedarwood and orange flowers surrounded Harry's form; oddly enough giving him patience. Harry chuckled to himself as he opened his eyes. _Snape? Giving ME patience! He'd enjoy the irony too._ Harry thought. For a brief second, Harry caught Snape's gaze before directing his attention toward Dumbledor and the others. Dumbledor looked at Harry with an expression that Harry discovered was his downfall in the past; however, Harry now just found the expression extremely annoying. _/Not the Alpha/_ His demon blood growled at the Headmaster's actions.

"Found something amusing, Harry?" Dumbledor asked in a low and yet hypontic voice a tone Harry never noticed before; Harry visibly frowned as he resisted a low instinctual growl. _/Not the Alpha/ _Harry's demon blood growled once more.

"Answer the Headmaster, boy!" Mad-Eye bellowed.

Suddenly Harry found himself glaring out right at the Ex-Auror, who reeked and was in desperate need of a bath. A low growl vibrated deep in Harry's chest as his body tensed and shifted. Haunting memories surfaced in Harry's mind at that hateful word, and his demon blood was _not_ going to take any abuse form anyone. _He_ was the alpha!

"Now, Alastor, there is no need for that." Dumbledor said in the same low and yet hypnotic tone; however, his focus was on the Ex-Auror. "I'm certain that Harry will tell us what he finds amusing. Now will you, Harry?"

"No." Harry clamly and swiftly replied. His response startled everyone, including Snape, who was standing a way aways and clutching onto his arm. Mentally frowning, Harry recognized Snape's stance as one of submission and awaiting punishment. The idea that Snape would be awaiting punishment turned his stomache. True, he and Snape did not agree with each other; however, after examining everything that had happened to him and Snape's involvement in his life, Harry realized that Snape _had_ been on his side and saving his ass time and time again.

"Oh? Very well, would you please explain what happened to Miss Granger?" Dumbledor asked in the same tone; interrupting Harry's thoughts.

"No." Harry's reply was quick and confident.

"Now, Harry, if we are to understand..."

"It is Hermione's decision on whether or not you should know." Harry interrupted with command then continued, "And that is all you need to know."

"Harold James Potter!" Professor McGonagall shrieked. Harry winced as her voice annoyed his sensitive ears. "Show the Headmaster more respect than this! Your behavior is unacceptable!"

Harry did not even acknowledge his Head of House. His attention was solely focused on the Headmaster, who dared to challenge him.

"Minerva is correct, Harry." Dumbledor said with a heavy sigh. "Your behavior is unacceptable."

"And you'll do what?" Harry asked as he crossed his arms, "Punish me? Make me clean this house from top to bottom? Make me weed the gardens? Make me mend all your clothes? Make me make your meals and make me watch you eat it while I go hungry? Or better yet, you'll lock me in a cupboard under the stairs and let me starve? Is that what you will do?"

Dumbledor stared at Harry with deep regret as the two ignored the outcries of those around them. The outcries of shock, disbelief and anger... At whom the outcries were directed at, Harry did not care. At the moment, all he cared about was the protection of his _an'sor_. Dumbledor sighed as he looked at Snape. Harry growled low as he could see Dumbledor formulating a plan.

"Before you are dismissed you will resume your Occulemency lessons with Professor Snape." Dumbledor stated as he looked back on Harry, who frowned. Harry noted Dumbledor's eyes twinkle in anticipation. _He thinks he'll get answers through Snape. Yathus!_ Harry thought. Harry turned his attention to Snape. For the first time, he noticed a defeated look in Snape's eyes. It looked unnatural. _He doesn't want to do this either._ Harry mentally noted.

"Professor Snape," Harry called; bringing attention on himself, "I'll see you in the Main Library at 5:30 this evening."

With barely an acknolwedgement from Snape, Harry left the kitchen ignoring the other's protest.

"Harry! Wait!" Ron called out as he tried to catch up with Harry. Harry waited for Ron on the staircase. Taking the moment to look at his best friend since the first year, Harry noticed a few things about the red-haired youth. First of all, Harry noticed that Ron had grown quite a bit while Harry remain small due to malnutrion and living most of his life in that damned cupboard. Another thing that caught Harry's attention was Ron's scent. It was nothing special but on occasion tickled Harry's sensitive nose. Casually sniffing the air, Harry picked up a subdued scent of citrus and something sugary. Harry resisted to the urge to sneeze. Looking at Ron's brownish-green eyes, Harry waited to see what his friend wanted.

Ron stood next to Harry expecting him to continue but quickly noticed that Harry was looking at him expectedly.

"What's worng with 'Mione?" Ron asked.

"You'll have to ask her."

"Okay then let's..."

"When she's awake."

"Oh okay." Ron replied then continued, "We'll just wait for her to wake up."

Ron took a step forward but was immediately stopped by Harry's solid form.

"Aw, come on, Harry! I wanna see her." Ron whined.

"She will rest. You will leave her alone. And when she's ready, she'll tell you. Am I understood?" Harry's tone left no room for an arguement. Anyone who heard knew immediately Harry's tone was to be recognized as being a decree; unfotunately, Ron did recognize that and Harry knew it. He knew that his hot-temperd friend will see it as Harry being an arrogant, spoil prat. Yes, Harry knew that he was being a prat, and he was willing to be so as long as it protected his _an'sor_. Harry also knew that Ron held some sort of affection for Hermione, but if Ron knew now what happened to her, with Hermione being vunerable and Ron being hot-tempered, it would be a mess. A mess that would do more harm to the both of them than any good, and Harry would be damned to allow that to happen. He knew that Hermione first must heal, and Ron must show patience. However, looking at Ron, Harry immediately knew that Ron will not. _Ben!_

"Since when do you give out orders!" Ron demanded.

_/Not the Alpha! Protect/_ Harry's demon blood growled. Harry's eyes narrowed on his friend, who was startled into stepping back.

"If that is what you believe, Ron, then so be it. But know this, I will do whatever it takes to protect Mina. Make no mistake 'bout it." Harry warned as he turned around and disappeared up the staircase.

Punctuality had always been Severus Snape's pet-peeve. To be on time, at least in the Potions Master's mind, meant one had contol of oneself even though one was never truly in control. It was a nice illusion, especially with his line of work. Not only was Severus Snape a reknown and yet infamous Potions Master; he was also a pawn in the game of Good versus Evil. A pawn to be used by Headmaster Dumbledor and the Dark Lord Voldemort. He knew this and accepted his role as a form of penance for crimes he had committed while blind by his hatred and rage, and so being on time for any appointment had become Severus pet-peeve. He controlled when anything accured, but now he was at a lost for the Bane-of-His-Existence, one Harry Bloody Potter, took what illusion of control he had away him.

It was Bloody Potter who set the time for their Occulemency Session! Oh, how Severus was going to make that brat pay! It was bad enough that the boy had everyone fawning over him, but now he acted as if he was a lord... _No, not a lord, but someone who is the better._ Severus thought as he looked back on Har-Potter's behavior. Severus recognized some of Potter's body language being similiar to those of the Werewolf's, especially on days close to the full moon. It definitely stirred his curiosity on the matter. _Did the spoi - no, not spoiled, not a spoiled brat, but definitely a brat... Did the brat somehow got Bitten?_ Severus suddenly became concerned. Granted, he had the pretense of hating Harry - _Bloody Hell!_ - Potter, but if Potter was bitten then damn with pretense! True, in the Wizarding World, a werewolf was considered to be inhuman; however, that was only because the individual bitten must be unusually strong physically, strong emotionally, mentally and strong in spirit. It had been shown in a census that for one successful transformation, there was nine deaths.

If Potter was Bitten then Severus must ensure that Potter must survive his first transformation. _The hell with all pretenses!_ Severus thought as he awaited for Har-Potter in Black's Main Library.

Five minutes before the appointed time, the Library door cracked open; signaling Potter's arrival. Well, this was a surprise. Usually Potter was late, but this time he was early. Severus did not bother to hide his scutiny as he observed Potter for any further signs of being Bitten. Suddenly Severus noticed that Potter was looking at _him_ curiously. That threw Severus aback; normally Potter would begin to squirm under the first few seconds under the Dark Wizard's scrutiny. Severus' onyx black eyes narrowed as he continued. _Oh yes, there's definitely changes in the boy's appearance, and the way he carries himself. The boy seems more confident in himself, and his appearance..._ Potter's raven black hair was longer; still unruly but in a fashionable way as if his hair was wind blown. Also his emerald green eyes seem to glow like the way a wolf's eyes glow in the moonlight. Then there was the boy's actual physical form.

In May, Potter looked akward as if the boy's body belonged to another. However, now his body fit him perfectly and... The fact that he looked adoreable in those oversized clothes... Severus' back stiffen. There was that traitous thought again; however, before the Potions Master could beride himself, he noticed Potter's body react to his own tension.

"Is something the matter, Sir?" Potter politely asked as he himself began to scan the room... and sniff the air!

Severus' mind was set. Now, he had no choice but to find out if Potter was Bitten, and what better was than exacting a little revenge for Ha - _Bloody Merlin's Beard - Potter! Potter! Potter! It's POTTER!_ For Potter taking away Severus' illusion of control. Without taking his wand out, Severus stared into Potter's eyes as his lips formed the incantation.

"_Legilimens!_"

'The Art of Occlumency is the Art of Mind-Magik; the Art of protecting the Source of All Magik; the Mind; the Consciousness, for without the Mind, the Consciousness, it is said that we are without a soul, and without a soul, we are not.' So stated Erecylus of Athens. This became the principle of Occlumency; strengthening one's mind-magik in order to protect the mind, the consciousness, the soul. Occlumency is a difficult discipline to master, and torturous if not taught properly; however, at the moment, Severus did not care for proper teaching. He wanted revenge for what was taken from him.

However, as he 'slipped' into Potter's mind, Severus discovered that was no easy tack for suddenly the boy developed the strongest mental barrier that he had ever seen. It was as strong as his own. _Where did the boy learn this? In such a short time? Especially since the boy did not have the faintest grasp of the basics... No fault on the instructor, of course._

Curious and annoyed, Severus attemtpted to 'push' through but meet with a 'shock'. A shock would be an equal and opposite reaction to a push; in other words, Potter's mental barrier pushed back. However, this shock sent chills down the older wizard's spin; not the kind of chills that warned an individual of danger but the kind of anticipation and excitment. Physically Severus stepped back in cold realization that Potter was doing something to him, but Severs was damned as Hell certain that the boy was oblivious to it.

"Sir?" Potter calmly asked as he stepped closer as his face betrayed his concern... _Wait a minute! Since when Dumbledor's Golden Boy was concern for likes of me!_ But there was no doubt about it, the boy was concerned and was continuing his trek closer.

Severus' heart suddenly raced as he continued to back away. He knew that he should not be retreating like a frighten animal from the boy he use to intimitate. But his instincts were screaming for him to run, and yet he felt himself slowly becoming hypnotized by Harry's ethereal emerald green eyes. As the Dark Wizard became lost in those fields of unearthly green, a part of Severus' mind slowly, almost naturally began to open to Harry's own... _Wait! Harry! Damn by Fey's Luck!_

Severus found himself pressed against the cold stone wall and Harry's own body coming dangerously closer against his own. The more he found himself drowning in the Elysian Fields; the more Severus found himself at ease with Harry's dark and yet wild presence. It was as if Harry was taking his aura, his presence and wrapping the Dark Potions Master in it like a blanket of comfort. All tension began to melt away. Not once did Severus break eye contact as he subconsciously lift his chin; exposing his pale throat to Harry. Not once did Severus' body tensed as he felt Harry's warm, lithe body gently caressing against his. Suddenly Harry breathed deeply; causing Severus' eyes to droop. Harry leaned in so slightly and breathed deeply again.

"Orange flowers." Harry huskily whispered.

_How did he know?_ Severus attempted to think coherently but all thought went out again as he felt Harry's warm breath on his exposed throat. Severus barely supressed a moan as he barely felt Harry's moist lips on his flesh... _Wait! What was that sound? It sounded like a purr!_ And its vibration was sending those damned chills down Severus' spine. It took the Potions Master half a second to realize that it was Harry making that sound. _Oh dear Gods!_ Echoed through the intoxicated mind of one Severus Snape. He knew he should put a stop to whatever was happeneing, but he did not want to. He was being selfish and desired this. Now, that was a frightening realization... He wanted Harry Potter!

Suddenly the strange spell was broken. One moment Harry was about to... what was the popular term? Oh yes, one moment Harry was about the snog the dread "greasy bat", and the next moment, Harry held Kreacher, the Black's House Elf, by the throat and... _Growling!_ Taking a moment to observe Harry and regain his composure, Severus noticed the sudden change of demeanor in the young man. There was no point in denying the fact that Harry was no longer that scrawny eleven year old boy that Severus kept in his mind. No, the Harry before him now was a young man, whose growls... Yes, Harry growled... warned of bloodshed to come. Harry before him was no longer a child screaming at the unfairness. No, Harry before him was in command, and he was letting everyone and everything know it. It sent those damned chills again. However, Harry's actions did not send as potent of chills as his gruffed voice did.

"Hello Kreacher!" Harry cooed with such feral intensity that it shocked Severus to the core, "I've been waiting a chance to see you again."

Severus was never so please to be against the wall for if he was not, he knew he would have collapsed as his knees gave out. Harry's entire presence became feral that it threaten to consume everything. He had to stop Harry. Oh yes, he wanted the damned elf dead because it was a threat to his own safety, but Harry's presence was practically smothering him. He had to stop Harry or else... Pushing himself off the wall, Severus drew his wand out; steeled himself as he took a deep breath.

"**POTTER!**" Severus bellowed; drawing Harry's attention from his prey. "_Legilimens!_"

With Harry's attention drawn on Kreacher, his mental barriers were weakened; allowing Severus a chance to determine if the boy was Bitten. Severus quickly ramaged through Harry's memories for he felt Harry's mental barriers strengthing at an alarming rate. _Ah-ha!_ Severus found something that Harry attempted to lock away. Grabbing hold onto that memory, Severus plunged into it; only to be quickly thrown out. However, not before seeing the contents of that memory.

_It was of Potter and Granger's father. They were in a parking lot of some kind. And Potter demanded to know what happened to his... packmate? Yes, Mina belongs to the pack... My pack! My Sister! Mina is my sister, and something happened to her. Something bad, terrible; so terrible that her father is afraid to reveal. What! What happened! What happened to wata neus an'sor!..._

_"My daughter was raped." Her father whispered in such a soft voice... Raped!... Pain! Chest hurts! Blood boiling! Blood seeking blood! The air bitter! Bitter with fear! Fear! Pain! Rage! Red! Red! Red! Must... Must... Blood! Kill! Kill! Kill!... He dies! Die! Die!_

"**_DIE!_**" Severus was unaware of the word passing through _his_ lips and not Harry's; however, he was aware of Potter pinning him to the ground. Harry pinned his arms above his head as Harry came nose to nose with Severus'. Harry's growls vibrated against Severus' body; sending those damned chills! Severus was not afraid of Harry although he should be; he knew he should be, but he was not. Instead Severus exposed his throat to Harry; a sign he learned from watching the Werewolf with the Mutt a couple of times in the past. The meaning significant for the likes of Severus, and yet it felt right to submit to Harry, who immediately calmed down and a deep breath of Severus' scent, which calmed him even further.

"Harry..." Severus barely whispered as he felt Harry's warm breath against his flesh. _Oh yes, this delicious spell!_ Severus gleefully thought. Suddenly Severus gasped as he felt Harry's rough tongue lap up his skin. During Harry's assault on Severus' throat, his growls became purrs; sending more of those damned, delicious chills. Severus barely muffled a moan as the strange young man began alternating between lapping and nipping at his soft pale skin. Severus craved more, and Harry did not mind giving more.

"OHMIGAWD!" A voice from a distance gasped; snapping Harry and Severus from their pleasures. Before Severus could react, Harry's weight disappeared. Regaining his lost composure, Severus rolled to his side; only to be struck in horror to discover who caught him being seduced by Harry Potter. Tonks, the metamorphmagus, stood in the doorway; mouth wide open and in complete shock herself. Severus shot Harry a vengeful flare; only to be shocked again by the youth's barely cantained rage... _Wait a minute! The shadows! They're dancing! They're alive!_

"Tonks..." Harry growled, which caught the girl's attention and caused the shadows to draw nearer to her, but she was oblivious to the shadowy danger. Something about Harry's expression made the girl regain composure.

"Not a word, Tonks." Harry voice begged for compliance from the metamorphmagus, who was still recovery from shock.

"Eh... Sorry, Harry, but do you know _that's_ Snape?" Tonks hissed.

Harry closed his intense eyes and took a deep breath.

"_Haita_... I know..." Harry began to stutter as he looked at Severus, "I-I'm sorry! I-I-I didn't mean to be s-so liberal t-t-toward you, Sir. I-I-I don't know w-what came over me... I-I'm sorry... I-I-I better check on _wata neus an'sor_..."

And with that, Harry bolted. His stammering drew Severus' attention to the youth's words. He apologized! He apologized for being forward! Not for his actions! Which meant... Severus could expect future episodes such as these, especially since Dumbledor ordered for the Occlumency to continue... Not that the boy needed the lessons... But that was not the point! The point being that Severus had better be on guard against Harry's seduction... Well, at least that was what Severus convinced himself to believe. Deep down, Severus was quaking with anticipation, which frighten him.

"Man! Professor Snape!" Tonks whistled, "Oh, don't worry! I'll keep ya lil' secret! But I would neva thought that he'd fancy ya!"

"Hunh!" Severus so eloquently expressed his confusion as he gathered himself onto his feet.

"What! Ya mean ya didn't know Harry swung for the same team!"

Although Tonks euphemisms were annoying and a bit crude, Severus was surprised at her casual-stated statement. His silence was an answer enough for her. Then she grinned her devil-may-care grin.

"Well then! Have fun!" Tonks commented as she disappeared.

_What the bloody hell just happened?_ First, he was snogged by a young man half his junior. Second, he got caught; not one but twice. Third, he discovered Hermione Granger's dark secret, and fourth, he was snogged by Harry AGAIN!

"What have I done to deserve this?" Severus whispered to himself as he locked himself in his room. He had much to think about, and in need of a cold shower!

**Translations:**

**_an'sor _(youm'-lingua) sister**

**_yathus _(youm'-lingua) bastard**

**_ben _(youm'-lingua) shit**

**_wata neus an'sor _(youm'-lingua) my sister**

**_haita _(youm'-lingua) yes**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6:_ The Demon's Blood-Sister_

Harry bolted out of the Main Library and straight into his own room; forgetting that not only was Mina sleeping there but also Gin. The door slammed shut behind him as he made a bee-line to the shower. Not bothering with removing his clothes, Harry found himself under the cold showerhead; replaying his snogging session with his Potions Professor.

Now, a month ago, Harry would have been sicken by the idea of snogging Serveus Snape, but that was before Harry was him and sensed him with his new senses. Before Harry's human nose could only smell the always present smoke from cauldron fire, but now, Harry's demon nose could pick up even the subtle yet calming scent of orange flowers. A scent, which Harry found very pleasing... _Damnit! That did not help!_ Shaking his head, Harry refocused on the new Severus that his sharpen senses were revealing.

Before Harry's weak human eyes showed a sheen in Severus' raven locks; a sheen that his new, sharper demonic eyesight revealed hints of blue. Harry knew now to call Severus 'greasy' or 'oily' would be a great injustice. Before Harry's horrible hearing could not the subtle accents and influxes on certain words to hear Severus' underlying emotions, and now, his sharp hearing revealed much of what Severus attempted to hide; his confusion, his concern, his fear and anger and best of all his lust. Severus' voice suddenly became music to Harry's sensitive hearing.

Harry smiled as he was drenched to the bone. Harry quickly discovered that he enjoyed hearing the lust in Severus' voice. It made him even more delicious... By Gods, even Harry's tastebuds were sharper. When Harry was lapping at Severus' exposed pale flesh, his tongue tasted the saltiness of human flesh, and it made his mouth water in anticipation. It made him craving for more of Severus' flesh.

Suddenly Harry moaned in self-agony as he banged his head against the shower wall.

"_Wata neus Shih'nus._" The quiet voice of Sirius broke through Harry's self-punishment.

Still under the cold shower, Harry's concealment spell washed away to reveal a very wet dog-demon Lord. Harry weakly smiled at his friend and _youjin'tores_, whose steelly expression cracked only a little in concern.

Sirius glanced at the shower knob and arched an elegant eyebrow. Returning his crimson eyes on his Lord and Master, Sirius quickly surmissed what ailed him. However, he was surprised to catch a wiff of orange flowers, a scent belonging to one person, before Harry rushed into the shower.

:Had an interesting lesson, _wata neus Shih'nus_: Sirius vaguely asked.

Harry mock glared at his demon confident, but was deeply pleased that the fox-cat hybrid seem to be relaxed enough to subtly tease Harry. Turning off the shower, Harry stepped out and shook his head; much like a wet dog would. A faint hiss escaped Sirius' lips as Harry drenched him. Harry smirked as he walked back into the master bedroom and began to strip.

:Ah! Good Evening, _wata neus Shih'nus._: A whimsical breeze whispered; startling Harry as he was about to remove his waterlogged pants.

Burning a bright crimson, Harry glared at the one creature, who could appear before him without his senses picking her up. She was his elemental retainer. She was of the Wind Clan; she could come and go as she pleased and never be noticed; just like the winds. This ability of hers was what made her such a dependable servent to Haijime Dea, Harry's Blood Bond Father. Dressed in her customary cream colored harem style clothes, K'lika hovered above the foot of the master king bed.

Suddenly something irrational happened.

Harry began to growl at his Blood-Sire's faithful retainer. The part of Harry that recognized the patient and calm Wind-Elf tried to calm himself, but only one word echoed in his mind like a mantra.

_/Protect/_

Harry's growls grew louder the longer K'lika remain near the two sleeping witches. Even Sirius echoed Harry's warning growl.

Seeing that she was outnumbered and startled by the ease of which Harry accepted his demonic, animalistic behavior, K'lika gracefully landed on her feet and cautiously walked away from the bed. As she kept her distance from the bed, K'lika nodded her head in approval as she watched Harry walk to the bed and sniffed the air about the sleeping witches. She also nodded in approval as Sirius placed himself on the bed as a living barrier between them and her. K'lika patiently waited for her young Lord and Master to regain composure, and once he did, she was certain that he had many questions needed answering.

:Oh god: Harry gasped in realization at what he had done. K'lika saw the horror in his eyes and felt his immense guilt radiating form his presence. :K'lika...:

:_Wata neus Shih'nus_, there is no need to apologize.: K'lika's calm presence did not seem to alleviate Harry's guilt.

:There's no need to apologize: Harry asked in shock:I almost attacked you for no apparent reason:

:Are you certain of that, _wata neus Shih'nus_:

K'lika saw Harry pause as he looked back at the obliviously sleeping witches.

:But you would never hurt them.: Harry whispered but not taking his eyes off of the young witches.

:But I am not bound to you for you to be absolutely certain of that.: K'lika replied.

Harry suddenly turned to her in confusion. If she was not bound to him then why was she helping him? K'lika smiled; like an ancient grandmother would to a confused child.

:I do not serve you, per sa, _wata neus Shih'nus_.: K'lika began:I serve Haijime Dea wishes, and his wish was that I would serve you until you found a suitable replacement.:

:A replacement? But why would I do that? Why would I fire you from your job:

K'lika smiled at her young Lord's concern, and knew that much of it stemmed from not knowing his new heritage and from his human emotions.

:But I am not bound to you. I am not bound to you as Sirius is bound to you nor as those two are bound to you.: K'lika further explained:Every male of an animal demon species leaves their family to start their own. Each male, especially among the noblity, would create their own court. And each court serves only their Master, the one that they are bound to.:

K'lika watched as Harry slowly seated himself on the floor as she explained her and the other's fate. She knew he would have a difficult time understanding it, but it was happening whether or not he was aware of it. K'lika already saw it by the way he reacted to her presence around the unprotected girls. She knew that Harry's demon blood saw her bound to Haijime Dea, his Blood-Sire; a servent to Haijime Dea. However, it was his human mind that could not fathome it.

:I'm still having trouble understanding the term 'bound'.: Harry finally confessed:Everything you just said reminds me of when dogs and wolves form a pack.:

:A pack: K'lika thought for a moment then nodded her head:Yes, to be bound is very similiar to being part of a pack.:

:_Haita_, and the Alphas are extremely protective of their packmates.: Harry said with a nod. He then looked at K'lika with a sheepish grin:I don't see you as a packmate.:

:That is correct.: K'lika smiled:I am a 'packmate' of Haijime Dea.:

:Still... I feel guilty for growling at you.:

:Do not be.: K'lika advised:Listened to you blood for it listens to laws much older than thought. It is pure and simple; therefore, the most honest and truthful of all thoughts.:

K'lika watched with pride as Harry nodded his head in understanding.

Slowly he walked up to her and gathered her into his arms.

:Thank you.: Harry mumbled; causing the elegant creature to return his hug.

"_Wata neus Shih'nus_." K'lika whispered back.

"H-Harry? Is that you?" Ginny's soft voice broke the emotional calm.

Harry snapped around to come face-to-face the proud fighter of the Weasley Clan. With a quick glance to Sirius, who seemed to be as surprised as he was, only one word could adequately describe the current situation, and Harry was not hesitant in saying it.

"_Ben_!"

Sirius watched Ginny as she slowly approached Harry, who just stood there with a sheepish grin and K'lika behind him.

Ginny was aroused from her sleep when two distinct growls invaded her dreams. Now, in her dreams, Ginny's mind conjured the images of a large black dog, or more like a domesticated wolf, and a large cat. Once her dream-fogged mind realized that the growls were real and not created by her dreams, Ginny slowly came to awakefulness. Opening her jadite green eyes, Ginny smiled at the blissfully sleeping Hermione Granger. As she was about to move, Ginny froze as she heard voices in the bedroom. One she recognized immediately as Harry's voice, but the other she could not name. Hell, she was not even certain if the voice was real. It sounded as if the wind itself suddenly developed a voice to be spoken and heard. However, it was their conversation or more the fact that she could not understand what was being said that drew a frown on her face, even though her face was concealed.

Suddenly she heard movement. Her curiosity getting the better of her; Ginny slowly sat up, and what she saw made her eyes grew wide.

On the foot of the bed, in a crouched position was a small sized young man with a pair of triangular sliver-tipped cat ears. His complexion was sun-kissed while his hair was black with flecks of sliver to match his ear-tips. The small stranger were a pair of black trousers with a matching tunic, which exposed his lean muscled arms. The stranger, however, was not interested in her, but instead he was focused on the hugging pair in front of them.

The smaller, smaller even the strange cat-eared youth on the bed, of the two had bronze skin tone and beautiful long slivery hair. The smaller creature was definitely female and looked extremely exotic with her light colored clothing against her dark skin. The petite framed creature seemed to be hovering and being held by the taller creature.

The taller creature, Ginny swore at first glance, resembled Harry. The taller creature had tan complexion with obvious scars from past abuse. The creature's unruly raven black mane blended with his raven black triangular dog-ears. Along his exposed arms, Ginny noticed several pale purple stripes across his arms. Then she noticed the taller creature's face. His eyes were aglow and an unearthly shade of emerald green. On top of his forehead was a strange gray diamond-teardrop marking, but aside from these differences, it was Harry's face. In fact this handsome strange creature felt like Harry; wild, dangerous and yet dark.

"H-Harry? I-Is that you?" Her voice startled the hugging duo and brought the smaller male's attention on her.

The taller creature looked at her then the smaller male then back at her.

"_Ben_!" The taller one cursed.

Not waiting for confirmation, Ginny slowly climbed out of bed; not waking Hermione. Ginny cautiously walked up to the taller creature, whose mannerism so screamed 'Harry'. As she focused on the exotic Harry-look-alike, Ginny was aware of the smaller male's attention on her. And it was not the type attention you wanted; it was an observation; a watching on whether or not she would do something of ill-will. Finally coming face-to-face to the taller creature, all doubts on whether or not this was or was not Harry had gone out the window.

As she looked closer, the more she could see Harry in front of her. This beautiful exotic creature looked like Harry, felt like Harry, acted like Harry, and bygods smelled like Harry.

"H-Harry!"

"_Haita, wata neus imoutsor_." There was those familiar alien words that Harry often used. It made his entire presence even wilder for the words sounded like a mix of whispered tones and whimsical notes.

As Harry spoke to her, Ginny allowed her hands explore Harry's face and markings. She even found the courage to touch his twitching ears; earning a rumbled chuckle out of Harry. Her eyes grew wider at the warm velvety feel of the triangular shaped dog-ears.

"_Haita_, Gin, they're real." Harry chuckled.

"H-How? How did this happened?"

"Eh... Well, uhn..." Harry faulted as he looked back to K'lika and Sirius for guidance.

K'lika smiled warmly at the inquizzitive phoenix-fire red head.

However, Sirius' expression spoke nothing of what he was thinking, which troubled Harry for he usually could get an inkling of what Sirius was thinking.

"Trust her not." Sirius spoke, but not in the demon tongue.

Ginny turned around to face the smaller male. She was furious; her eyes grew darker in color as her scent spike with hot cinnamon.

"And what the bloody hell does that suppose to mean?" Gin challenge the protective hybrid. Although not noticable, Harry caught the subtle twitch of anticipation in Sirius' ears. Curious at what the fire-ice demon had in mind, Harry allowed Ginny to confront Sirius; knowing absolutely that Sirius would never harm Gin. A pack never harms another unless provoked.

Sirius and Ginny stared at one another; daring the other to back down.

"Well?" Ginny growled fairly well given her human vocal cords; impressing Sirius even more.

"Your blood troubles _wata neus Shih'nus_ and _karsuu an'sor_." Sirius began, "You not bound to _watanost_ _Shih'nus_..."

The word 'yet' hung between them.

Harry frowned at the insinuation, but he understood Sirius' point. Even among demons, there was a saying: Blood runs thicker than Water. Harry looked at Gin; half expected her hurt by Sirius' blunt words, but he was surprised to see her contemplating Sirius' words.

After a while of consideration, Ginny let out a heavy sigh.

"As sad as it is, it's true..." Gin replied as she looked at Harry. So many emotions ran rampant in her beautiful eyes, but one struck out the most. It was longing. But it was not the type of longing that Harry once saw in the girl during his second year at Hogswart. No, this was a longing to belong.

"There is so much more than just me telling my story." Harry began as he wrapped a comforting arm around her tiny frame. "So much of Sirius' and K'lika's and many, many, many more are intertwined. So many..."

"Why are _you_ burden with such heavy responsibilities, alone?" Gin asked.

"Luck of the draw, I guess."

"And Voldemort? What about him?"

Harry smiled; Ginny was not afraid to call the undead _yathus_ by his name, but the undead _yathus'_ name did provoke a quiet growl.

"The threat _he_ poses is incentive for me to be stronger in order to protect those under my care."

Suddenly Ginny was unusually quiet. She then turned around with a mischievous grin that matched the Weasley Twins' grin.

Harry arched an eyebrow.

"The last time I saw that grin it was on the Twins." Harry commented as he observed her. "What are you planning?"

"I might have a solution."

"Oh?" Harry commented.

Ginny nodded her head.

Sirius was curious, and K'lika simply observed all three of them.

"It's a Blood Oath!" Ginny proudly exclaimed.

Harry, however, was hesitant. For the last time his blood was used, it brought back the undead _yathus_ that was Voldemort. Plus now that he was part demon, Harry was uncertain of the effects it would have on Ginny. But he was curious and motioned Ginny to continue, which she did.

She explained that a Blood Oath was very similiar to a Wizard's Oath, but with one catch. A Blood Oath usually made the participants Blood-Siblings, and as such either participant had say in the other's life. It was a custom quite popular before the founding of the Ministry of Magic in 1012 AD. However, due to complications of a Blood Sibling's Rite on personal matter versus the actual Family's Rite, the newly founded Ministry of Magic banned the practice.

"And you know this because?" Harry asked; causing Ginny to blush in embarassment.

"I find Tribual Magik fascinating." She confessed, which caused Harry to be confused. However, he knew that now was not the time to ask questions; maybe later. No, now was time for decisions and action.

Harry stood there as he weighed his options. Even though Harry understood the significance of the Blood Oath in the Wizarding World, he did not know the consequences of doing a Blood Oath with demonic blood. But not only was the consequence of using demon blood in a Blood Oath a concern. The other concern involved the fact that Ginny would become his sister; a perfect target for his enemies.

Harry's eyes darken with heavy emotions as he sighed deeply.

"If we do this then you'll become my sister." Harry began. He stopped her before she could interrupt. "To officially become my sister also means that you share with me in my burdens, including becoming a target for my enemies both human and demon. Think this carefully, _wata neus imoutsor_."

Harry paused; letting his words sink in.

Ginny looked deeply into Harry's eyes; trying to determine whether or not he was trying to scare her away. No, Harry had never done anything but told her the truth. He was always truthful, even if the truth hurt. To her, Harry was a truth; a constant strength and courage. To her, Harry was someone she would be willing to share in his burden because he _needed _someone to share it with. And apparently it showed in her body language for Harry just nodded.

"If you're willing then I'm willing." Harry simply replied, which brought a smile on Gin's face.

Surprisingly to perform the Blood Oath was quite simple. All they needed was cup, and enough blood to fill the cup with. They did not even need a dagger for Harry's claws were sharp enough to cut into their flesh. And there they stood with a cup half filled with their blood, between them.

Harry watched Ginny with a protective eye for any signs of dizziness due to the amount of blood she gave. Although she showed a brave face, Harry could smell the wariness in her scent. But he could see her determination to complete this oath, which further convinced him that he made the right decision.

"By my Blood! By your Blood/Our two Bloods as One./Let no Secret be denied from Us./Let no Secret be held against Us./Our two Bloods as One." Ginny calmly chanted as if she rehearsed those lines for this precise moment. Then she took the blood-filled cup and took a gulp of it.

Harry then took the simply cup. He found himself staring into the crimson fluid, which teased at his senses. Following his instincts that was older and yet younger than his demon blood, Harry raised the cup alittle and allowed the following words to flow form his lips.

"By my Blood! You are my Kin./By your Blood! I am your kin." Harry then swallowed the remaining amount of blood; oblivious to the shocked expression on Ginny's face.

However, her shock quickly melted away to pure happiness.

"_Wata neus Red'mina._" K'lika and Sirius whispered as they bowed respectfully at one Virginia Weasley-Potter-Haijime.

**Translations:**

**_wata neus Shih'nus _(youm'-lingua) my Lord**

**_youjin'tores _(youm'-lingua) bodyguard**

**_ben _(youm'-lingua) shit**

**_haita _(youm'-lingua) yes**

**_wata neus imoutsor_ (youm'-lingua) my younger sister**

**_karsuu an'sor _(youm'-lingua) his older sister**

**_watanost Shih'nus _(youm'-lingua) our Lord**

**_yathus_ (youm'-lingua) bastard**

**_wata neus Red'mina _(youm'lingua) our Lady**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7: _Kagumb ded Shih'nus_

Easing himself into the lotus position, Harry began his meditation by relaxing each muscle; one at a time. True, this process was time-consuming but at the moment that was what he wanted. He wanted time to disappear into the evening in order to return to _Ma-terrarum_. It had been two weeks since Professor Snape brought him to Grimmauld Place, and every night of those two weeks, Harry would return to _Ma-terrarum_ for approximately one month; thanks to the Portal Device that his Alchemist had given him. The Portal Device allowed him to stay in demon world for as long as he desired and returned him to human world only hours after his departure. Convenient, ne?

Inch by inch, muscle by muscle, Harry felt himself begin to lose sensation of physical being. Now, here was the tricky part to the meditation: he must not give into the sensation or he would fall asleep, and yet he must not concentrate too much on it or he would have to start again. Just enough sensation and a pinch of concentration, and Harry successfully entered the Realm of his Mind...

The Realm of the Mind is one's inner sanctum. It is believed where one's dreams are stored and hidden. The Realm of the Mind comes in all shapes and sizes; all depending on the individual's personality and current emotional state. It is not uncommon for one's Realm of the Mind to be in chaos, especially when one successfully enters it. It is after each successful entry does one's Realm begins to fall into order, and for Harry, this was his third successful entry into his Realm, and his Mind was beginning to have some semblance of order.

Harry's Mind Realm was a blend of his room in both Grimmauld Place, _Ma-terrarum_, and a bit of the Gryffindor's Common Room; however, omitting the extremely heavy usage of gawdy red and gold colors, which would have sicken Harry.

Harry's Mind Realm was very spacious like his room in _Ma-terrarum_ with a balcony, which revealed an eternal dusk skyline. His favorite time of day. In the center of the room was a large bed much like the one that Mina and Gin have claimed as their own in Grimmauld Place. Flanking either side of the king sized bed were bookshelves; filled with books of his knowledge, memories, dreams, aspirations, hopes, fantasies and his future goals. Across from his bed was a stationary... That would be his goal for the day... He would organize the stationary from its chaotic order to a more defined choatic order. Harry's mind-self smiled; he knew it was futile cause to organize the stationary, but at least, he could try and easily kill several hours.

Gracefully, as his Etiquette Instructor had drilled into him, Harry crossed the threshold and entered into his Realm; only to suddenly pause. The air was usually warm and welcoming, but now the air chilled and moaned at being violated; violated by an intruder... A very unwelcomed intruder...

Someone dared to enter his most inner terrority! Growling at the intruder's gall, Harry's Realm transformed to match his demonic fury... Gone was the signs of calm order and control. Now, surrounding Harry's mind-self was the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts and the Forest of Silentrum that borders the Northern Lands and the Eastern Mountains. Both Forests were born from wild-magik and lived by their own laws. They were wild, dangerous and dark; just like Harry.

This transformation was perfect for nothing but pure rage and fury existed here... Perfect for a confrontation...

"My, my!" A chilled voice whispered from the darkness. A chilled voice that Harry was dangerously familiar with.

"Tom Marvlo Riddle..." Harry growled but remain hidden in his Realm's Shadows while the Dark Lord was forced into the open.

The Dark Lord's expression betrayed nothing, but his soulless crimson eyes showed his shock at Harry's mental strength. However, that shock faded away into rage by Harry's casual use of his given name. This pleased Harry's human and demon halves.

"Imputent Brat! _I. Am. Lord. Voldemort!_" The Dark Lord growled through his teeth as he expelled his fury outward into Harry's Mind Forest.

The Darkness swallowed Voldemort's fury; however, it was like a bee's sting and stung at Harry psyche; forcing himself out into the open but having much of himself still hidden. Voldemort smirked as if he had won a great battle in causing Harry out in the open.

"You haven't won anything yet, Tom." Harry commented off-handedly; causing Voldemort's cold face to contort in rage. Again the Dark Lord expelled more of his rage, and again the Darkness swallowed it up. Harry winced a little; pleasing Voldemort once again.

"Oh but I have, Harry Potter." Voldemort cooed; this caught Harry's curiosity and apparently it showed on his mind-self's face for the Dark Lord continued, "The Headmaster has failed to keep his precious Savior free from my mental attacks."

Harry snorted; a demonic trait to indicate annoyance at a ridiculous notion. Apparently Voldemort heard Harry's annoyance, and attempted to put more bite in his claim by standing taller; coming a full head taller than the smaller youth. However, Harry would not be intimitated by this sorry excuse of a _yathus_. Harry's mind-self melted back into the Shadows but allowed his presence still to be felt as he stalked his prey.

"You call throwing little tantrums whenever your name is spoken mental attacks?" Harry began, "Pluz! I've had worse from simple little headaches."

Harry's annoyance and rage toward Voldemort grew expotentially and manifested itself as thick silvery _miasma_. Harry was tired of Voldemort's petty little games to prove that he was the best there was, regardless of who his father was. His tiredness quickly became annoyance and further more more rage.

"Once I have mastery of my powers, Tom. I'll send you back where you came, you undead _yathus_."

"What! What did you call me! You little Brat!" Voldemort screeched as he expelled more and more rage toward Harry's presence; causing Harry to put up a block to protect himself.

Once Harry recovered, he discovered Voldemort's form gone but not his presence. Oh boy, Harry was going to be needing extra combat training back in _Ma-terrarum_ just to be free from all this rage that Voldemort filled him with; he just knew it. If Harry thought Voldemort's continued presence was annoying him to the brink of blind rage then Harry was mistaken. No, it was Voldemort's laughter that nearly threw Harry into a blind rage. It was not your ordinary laughter either. It was a laughter of man, who was delluded into believing that he was God and that he still had control; control over Harry's life and destiny. Now, Harry was pissed, but he had barely enough control not to attack. He wanted to know what the damned _yathus_ was up to, and he knew that the egotistical madman would tell him; just for that illusion of control. Sure enough, Voldemort did not disappoint Harry.

"For your excellent display here, my Little Lion Cub." Voldemort cooed; his voice laced with an emotion that Harry could not nor would he attempt identify, "I'll reward you with some information of my latest plans."

_Oh boy, he sure does love to hear himself talk._ Harry growled.

"In two days, I plan on attacking Frejj's House in Vienna."

Harry frowned. _Attacking Fridg's House? What's so important about attacking someone's home?_

Before Harry could demand an explanation, Voldemort's laughing presence disappeared; leaving Harry troubled, and worst of all he was extremely in a bad mood.

The return to his physical form was not the usual re-awakening of his senses. No, the best was to describe Harry's re-awakening would be... rude, jolty and sudden. Harry snapped his eyes open and immediately gained his baring.

In front of him was Sirius in humaniod form and panting as if he had a strenous workout. A quick look around the room proved that theory to be correct. For the room looked as if a hurricane went on a rampage; twice. Harry winced; it was a good thing he came into the habit of shielding the empty guestroom. The shielding prevented everyone from sensing if any magic was in use, and judging by the mess: a lot was used. Looking back at his fire-ice friend, Harry's eyes conveyed his concern.

:It was a good workout.: Sirius assured the young demon Lord. Pleased that his friend was unharmed during the chaos of flying furniture, Harry immediately got to his feet and stormed out of his room after mentally asking the Noble House of Black to fix the room.

Sirius sensed his Master and Friend's unease; he did not need any verbal cues. The fox-cat shapeshifter quickly transformed into his smaller form and took his customary perch on Harry's shoulder.

With a quick sniff of the flat air, Harry quickly headed toward the kitchen, where members of the Order of the Phoenix were conducting their business.

As Harry approached closer to the kitchen, his sensitive nose picked up the scents of his _shisorn_, Ron Weasley and the Twins. He regarded his _shisorn_, his sisters, with a small smile; telling them he was not there to eavesdrop. They quickly understood his silent message and moved to be by his side.

"'Ello Harry!" Fred exclaimed upon seeing the young benefactor emerging from the shadows.

Due to Harry's sensitive nose, he could now distinguish the identical twins apart; much to their surprise. While Fred smelled similiar to sour green apples, George's scent was simliar to licorice, and when together, Harry could not help but crave for candy. Shaking his head free from runaway thoughts, Harry focused on the matter at hand.

Looking at the fancy double door to the kitchen, Harry could see the barely visible sheen of a magical barrier, which was meant to keep them out... Well, it kept everyone out; including Harry only because he had no reason to interrupt the adults' business. Harry looked at George, who devilishly smirked at the handsome youth; causing said youth to arch an eyebrow.

"They've been in there for a good haffa hour, luv." George commented. Throwing in a little tease, which Harry did not mind. Harry knew that George was being harmless, but the teasing seem to throw Ron into a fit. Harry did not care for Ron's childish behavior at the moment; he had more important business to attend to, and it was in there!

"Harry..." Mina called before Harry moved.

"_Haita, an'sor?_"

"Professor Snape is also in there ..."

"So what if the greasy bat's in there?" Ron interrupted.

"Oh yeah! Professor Doom an' Gloom -"

"Didn't look too good -"

"Nope, he didn't -"

"Looked paler than normal -"

"And seemed drained, as well."

"Yes, you're right, my dear Gred!"

"As are you, my dear Feorge!"

The Twins' explanation caused Harry's heart to race. _Something was wrong with Severus! So wrong that THEY were able to see it!_ Suddenly all the tension of rage and fury that Harry managed to suppress just suddenly came flooding out. Without further provocation, Harry marched up to the double doors; breaking the pathetically weak barrier, bursting through the doors and causing the House to moan as it absorbed Harry's raw power.

Luckily for Harry's secrecy's sake, the girls and the Twins casted shielding spells at the same moment that Harry erected his own wandless barrier. For when Harry busted through, Mad-Eye Moody attacked with his usual paranoid fever; causing everyone to duck or cast their own shielding spell. Taking a quick stock of who was present, Harry took a brief reprieve to find those, who gained his demon side's favor, unharmed. However, that reprieve was short lived for he spotted Severus struggling to get back of his feet.

The Dark Wizard was completely drained of energy that it was a wonder he was even still conscious!

Suddenly looking up, Severus spotted his torturous angel looking at him with barely concealed concern. Mentally Severus begged for Harry to leave; he did not want to appear weak before the young mage-warrior, but Harry had other plans. Ignoring everyone as if they were not there, Harry rushed to Severus' side. The moment Severus felt himself being consumed by Harry's wild, dark presence, he let go of the breath he did not realize that he held. Helping Severus to his feet, Severus was slowly feeling his strength returning. For a brief moment while looking into Harry's emerald greens', Severus knew that Harry was giving _him_ some of _his_ strength. During that brief glance, Severus realized that he was being lead to his chair that was placed up right by Granger and Ms. Weasley. Quickly observing the young girls fleeting around the kitchen; ensuring that everyone was fine and unharmed, Severus' attention was quickly returned to Harry. Harry had gently pushed his hair back in the guise of checking for any head injuries. With Harry being this close, Severus was nervous.

The one person, who could make Severus' life far more hellish then the Dark Lord ever could, was watching them with an odd expression on his face.

"I'm fine! No thanks to you, you insolent Gryffindor Prat!" Severus hissed and shooed away Harry's gentle caresses. Severus knew that his hiss sounded a bit pleading and panic to him, and his heart ached when Harry stopped his gentle menstration because by gods! It felt good to be cared for! Looking into Harry's eyes, Severus half expected his young wild cub to be hurt, but of late, Harry seemed to be full of surprises. Because Harry looked down at him with a hidden all-knowing smile in his eyes.

"Well, that was a bit rash of me, wasn't it, Professor?" Harry said to break the unbelievable tension in the kitchen.

"What the hell is the meaning of this, Potter!" Mad-Eye Moody bellowed... Well, _that_ also broke whatever serene spell that was over Harry; for one moment, Harry was calm and in control with his focus on Severus. The next moment Harry was actually challenging the paranoid ex-Auror with his presence.

Severus could tell it was taking a lot out of Harry to keep himself under control. Hell, if Harry _was_ in control of himself when he crushed Kreacher's vocal cords, Severus did not want to image what Harry can do when he was completely _out _of control, especially against a grown man. Well, to be honest, Severus knew that it would not be much of a contest and that his money would be on the powerful young man in front of him.

Before Mad-Eye could bellow out his demand again, another side of Harry surfaced. This side of him only surfaced when idiots attempted to assume authority over the young wizard-savior. This side of him told all that he was his own master and no one could tell him what to do unless they have proved to be his better; so far none here have done that. _Hell, even the Werewolf submits to Harry! Why can't these idiots see he's the Alpha here? Why?_

"Of course, I'll tell you the reason for this intrusion, and I can assure you it is of more importance than whatever matter you have been discussing."

"Oh?" Dumbledor decided to interfer.

"Yes." Harry said with such conviction it made Dumbledor hesitant in asking.

"Please, Harry, what's so important that you would disrupt this meeting." Dumbledor was using that strange tone of voice again. Severus never noticed it before until Harry pointed it out during one of their Occlumency sessions last week. Severus also noticed that the tone annoyed the hell out of Harry. Harry narrowed his eyes on the elder Headmaster.

"Voldemort is going to attack Fridg's House."

_Fridg's House! No, not Fridg... Frejj! Of course, Harry would be confused about the word. He never heard about it, but how did he knew about that! How did he know of Frejj's House! When the Dark Lord has yet to tell his Inner Circle!_

"That's impossible." Mad-Eye Moody bellowed; following more outburst of outrage and scandalousness.

It was obvious to Severus that Harry had no clue of the severity of his statement, and yet his wild, dark angel understood the importance of his statement.

"Now, Harry," There was that hypontic tone again. Dumbledor attempted to coax the information out of Harry. _Why? Why use such underhanded trickery?_ Severus could not understand the Headmaster's motives. Severus knew that Harry would reveal what needed to be revealed if only asked... Well, at least this _new _Harry would. The _new _Harry... This _older_ Harry... This _mature_ Harry had already lost too many people he cared about to the lies and mind-games of this war. This _monarch_ Harry knew that open communication between allies was the real key to winning any war.

"Now, Harry, how would you know this?"

Harry's body tensed. All he wanted to do now was to attack those who were challenging him, and Severus knew this. He knew this as well as he knew that only he or one of the girls can calm Harry down, but only he was nearby. Severus stretched his leg out; brushing it against Harry's own leg. Severus noticed Harry relaxing a bit. It would seem that it was not only Harry, who had some strange control over Severus but Severus over Harry as well. Once Harry regained composure from being challenged by an inferior, by an ageing and less powerful being, Harry's expression became feral. It startled the others save for Severus and the girls. Bloody hell, even little Ms. Weasley gave Headmaster Dumbledor her own version of a feral expression.

"Of course, Professor Dumbledor..." Harry began; almost purring like a cat about to pounce on a caged canary, "Voldemort himself told me."

_Oh bloody hell! The Dark Lord told him? But why?_

"Harry... This is troubling news. Very terrible news indeed." Dumbledor obliviously stated; however, the manner he said it made Harry suspicious.

Harry subconsciously changed his stance but did not break what little physical contact he had with Severus. He waited patiently for the Headmaster to continue, but Severus knew that Harry's patience would not last for very long. Harry seemed to quickly have developed a low patience/tolerance for morons, and unfortunately in Harry's mind, the Headmaster fell into the category of moron.

"It would seem that the Dark Lord has more power over you than I had originally anticipated." Dumbledor stated.

Harry snorted that little 'you are an idiot' snort of his, which Severus found cute and amusing. It drew Dumbledor's attention away from his train of thought. Harry stood taller and looked down at Dumbledor; daring him to continue, which he did.

"It would seem that you disagree, Harry."

"No, it does not _seem_ that I disagree with you. I _am_."

"Now, Harry, I am certain that you feel that you know the Dar-"

"I do not _feel_ to know Voldemort. I _do_ know him." Harry stated so matter-of-factly as he just continued, "He no longer has the power to attack me in my mind, and he no longer has the power to manipulate me. He knows this..." Harry paused as if he came to a realization, "He knows this that's why he told me the truth because he knew that _you_ won't believe what I say... Clever... Clever, little undead _yathus_."

Severus paled at Harry's own realization. He too came to the same conclusion after Harry stated who gave him the information. And if Voldemort told Harry the truth; knowing full well that Dumbledor will do nothing, then Frejj's House will be destroyed, and the Wizarding World will be in an uproar. All the Schools will be at each others' throats; laying blame for the failure of security on each other rather than seeing the real threat: Voldemort.

Frejj's House, during the Times of the Ancient Ones, was a temple of peace. All grievances were brought to the temple to be settled by the Gods and their High Priests or Priestesses. Nowadays, Frejj's House is the Center of all peace between the many disciplines of Magic. And not just disciplines as in crafts but as in different schools. For example, the Wizarding World of the United Kingdom practiced wand magic while the Wizarding World of the North practiced ruinic-magik. Each reigon and country practiced magic in their own unique way, and to maintain that uniqueness and harmony, Frejj's House established the laws that governed _all_ magical disciplines. It Frejj's House were to be destroyed, all the magics in Europe would be at each other throats for dominance... Voldemort must be stopped. Dumbledor had to at least put this information into consideration. For the sake of everyone, was it not better to be safe than sorry?

However, Dumbledor was not taking any chances.

"I am sorry, Harry, but without further evidence, we cannot act on your word alone." Dumbledor spoke with finality.

Harry was outraged. For Voldemort's plan of attack will commence in two days, and Harry was absolutely powerless to stop him without the backing of the Order. So enraged by Dumbledor's lack of concern and the insinuation that _HE_ was being manipulated by that undead _yathus_; Harry's vision began to creep into the bloody field of red. Feeling the subtle caress of Severus' leg against his own, the bloody vision was subsiding; however, not enough for Harry to trust himself around his packmates... Gone were his concerns for everyone; only his packmates mattered now. And without another word, Harry left the kitchen with all the diginty of a leader, a nobleman, a monarch, and a ruler on a mission.

Harry turned his back on the Headmaster and his Order; he was going to take matters into his own hands.

Severus watched his little cub leave; only to realize that not even Harry's faithful feline, who was sending the Headmaster death glares that would make even the Dark Lord quivering in fear, followed him. A part of him wanted to reassure the little cream-colored feline, who also took to watching over himself and the girls, but he dared not to while under the scrutiny of Headmaster Dumbledor. Looking back into the darken hallway, which swallowed Harry up, Severus vowed to himself that he would protect Harry from both his masters; even if it would cost him his very life, soul and sanity.

Harry did not know how he came across the dark abandoned room nor how he even entered the mysterious sanctury. He did not care. So blinded by righteous rage that Harry had only the bare inclination that he was still in Grimmauld Place; the Ancient Noble House of Black's magic was still humming around him.

Standing in the middle of the dark room, Harry's concealment spell shattered under the pressure of his pulsing rage. His demon claws dug deeper into his palms. Soon the closed off room became filled with the scent of dust, beaming rage and copper-blood. Soon the Shadows surrounded Harry, filled the room, swirled and wrapped itself around Harry's actual being. Harry just stood there; allowing the anger to swell deep within him. Allowing it to grow until he could no longer contain it and then... He acted. At first one would think that the emotionally troubled Lord would begin to tear the room apart, but he did not. No, instead he began to move, slowly at first as if the rage weighed his body down like heavy weights. Harry slowly moved in a circular pattern, with each well placed footing there was a punch, a block; fists closed. Harry had to ground himself. He had to be stable as the Earth, and slowly with each completed rotation, Harry's movement became faster and more fluid as he evolved into each elemental kata, as he evoloed into each emotional state of control.

Harry continued until he felt nothing at all within him. He continued the patterns; oblivious to the Shadows' caresses against his form. The Shadows danced around his form; caressing itself against the power radiating off of him. With each caress against Harry's strength, the Shadows became more alive. Soon instead of dancing around its young Master, the Shadows began to dance _with _Harry; becoming its young Master's partner and hope as it felt its young Master's desire. Its young Master's desire and hope to protect, to protect those that cannot protect themselves.

For each forward step, the Shadows took an equal step back. For each block, the Shadows punched, and for each punch, the Shadows blocked. And soon a new dance began between the two; between the tangable and the intangable, between the elements until their movements became one and the same.

This new dance continued until suddenly Harry dropped onto the floor; completely drained of all energy, strength... and falling into the slumbering darkness.

"_Shih'nus_." A voice called through the darkness.

Harry did not recognized the strange masculine voice and yet he did. He also knew that he should not fear this new voice.

"_Shih'nus._" The voice called again. There was no sense of urgency in the tone; it just was. It was as if the owner knew that Harry was awake but just needed time to regain his energy.

Slowly Harry opened his eyes and saw a young man... No, not a man but not a demon either, watching over him. The stranger's skin was pale as the moon. His hair so black that it blended into the shadows. His eyes were a stormy gray-blue; steady and calm. Quickly checking to ensure that the stranger was not injuried, Harry discovered that his mysterious guest was quite naked.

Harry sat up quickly; only to immediately regret it. The mysterious being helped steady Harry as he regain his baring.

:Who are you: Harry asked, once he was sure of himself to have a conversation.

The mysterious being looked at Harry curiously then around himself. The strange creature turned around; revealing a pair of midnight black wings. Fascinated, Harry waited patiently for the creature to speak. The creature touched the shadowed walls then himself as if never realizing before its own physical form. The creature once again reached out to the walls, but this time only touching the Shadows, which caused his fingers to disappeared. Quickly he withdrew his hand back and gave Harry a curious look.

Harry's eyes were wide as he watched the quiet creature touched the Shadows. The Shadows came alive at the creature's touch as they would come alive under his own, and somehow Harry knew and understood what this creature was.

"_Kagumb_." The creature finally stated. "_Kagumb ded Shih'nus._"

Shadow of the Master-Lord; in other words, this creature was Harry's shadow. This creature was alive as Harry was alive. This creature was the shadow; this creature was Harry; the shadows was this creature; the shadows was Harry. This was _Kagumb, Kagumb ded Shih'nus_.

After much deliberation with with Sirius and K'lika, both of whom appeared after sensing Harry's depleted stated. Harry was able to determine the power of his Shadow, _Kagumb_, who sat quietly and observing everything by Harry's feet. It unnerved the young demon-Lord that _Kagumb_ would sit there and not by his side. Try as he did, _Kagumb_ only shook his head and remain seated in his position by Harry's feet. Absentmindedly Harry began caressing _Kagumb_'s shadow-black hair as he had done often with Hedwig when he was thinking. _Kagumb_ did not mind.

The power of _Kagumb_ was that of the Shadows. To _Kagumb_ the Shadows spoke and had a voice through _Kagumb_. And _Kagumb_'s limitation was linked to the strength he had, which was growing by leaps and bounds as Harry, Sirius and K'lika spoke. They all sensed it, but did not fear it.

Then K'lika asked how _Kagumb_ came to being; launching Harry into a full detailed account of his encounter with Voldemort, the encounter with the Headmaster, and finally himself in the abandoned room and performing Elemental Katas to calm himself. As Harry explained, K'lika sagely listened with a nod here and there; an occasional glance at _Kagumb_, who was listening to something else in the Shadows. Once Harry finished his tale, K'lika continued her observation of _Kagumb_.

All waited for the other to act, but none dared yet to act until...

_Kagumb_ opened his stormy gray-blue eyes and looked at Harry.

_The creature with one-eye..._ _Kagumb_'s word echoed in Harry's mind. Giving up on being surprised, Harry waited for _Kagumb_ to continue. _The One-Eyed Creature rose a hand against the Dark One._

Harry shot to his feet as if he were on fire. Harry did not further explanation on who _Kagumb_ was referring to. What _Kagumb_ heard, Harry heard. What _Kagumb_ saw, Harry saw. And _Kagumb_ was curious of occupants beyond the little room, so curious that he opened his senses and observed each one for a little bit.

_Kagumb_ mentally marked those of importance to watch over either they posed a threat or because he picked up the Shadows' desire to protect. One of these occupants had the strongest urge to protect, which caused _Kagumb_ to focus on it.

_The creature was dark; dark like the Shadows' Master. It was a comfortable darkness that was the mortal creature; however, the creature seemed out of sorts. It seemed weak due to exhaustion as it kept itself braced against a chair. As it tried to regain its strength, another creature entered the Dark One's... Yes, the Dark One was a suitable name ... The Dark One's chamber. This intruder had only one-eye; the only detail that interested the Shadows but not for long. The Shadows returned its attention on the Dark One, as he showed strength he was lacking. The Dark One stood tall against One-Eyed Creature, and challenged the inferior being. They spoke words; words that did not interest the Shadows. Words have no meaning to the intangable; only the Feel had meaning. And the One-Eyed Creature had the Feel of anger, suspicion and vengefulness while the Dark One had the Feel of alertedness, defensiveness and ... Fear._

_More words spoken; more Feel sensed then suddenly only Pain was known. The Dark One was in Pain, and the One-Eyed Creature was pleased. A bad mix._

_The Master must be told._

_The Master must be told._

_The Master must be told._

:The Master must be told.: Harry echoed as his emerald green eyes began to gather flecks of gold and crimson. Harry looked at his three companions. :You three wait here. I'll be back.:

And with that, Harry disappeared into the Shadows.

K'lika, for the first time, was at a loss of what had transpired.

Sirius kept his steady crimson eyes on _Kagumb_, who returned to listening to the Shadows.

:A Dark Wizard, who _watanost Shih'nus_ is courting, has been injured.: Sirius explained to the Wind-Elf.

K'lika frowned for the first time since freeing Harry from his mortal existence.

:_Watanost Shih'nus _is much too young to be courting.: K'lika spoke; causing _Kagumb_ and Sirius to look at her.

:_Wata neus Shih'nus_ had never been a kit.: Sirius began, neither insulting K'lika's callousness nor giving away much about what his Lord and Master had experienced.

:_Shih'nus_ is _Shih'nus_.: _Kagumb_ entered in the discussion. Sirius and K'lika listened for they knew that _Kagumb_ was timeless. :_Shih'nus_ is like _Kagumb_. _Kagumb_ is like _Shih'nus_. Not young. Not old.:

Sirius nodded his head in agreement, and K'lika looked thoughtful. Then she smiled in acceptence and understanding.

Harold James Potter-Haijime was truly the Lord of the Northern Lands and Master of Shadows.

Harry slipped from one set of shadows into another; however, that was not the best nor the most accurate way of describing a Shadow-walk. It was more like walking from one room to an adjenct one; regardless of the actual distance, and it was like walking through a summer mist.

Harry walked out of the small abandoned room into an even smaller room. Harry frowned as he looked around. He quickly spotted Severus' crumpled form on the floor; between a well-used bed and a worn-down desk. As Harry rushed to Severus' side, Harry sensitive nose told him that Mad-Eye Moody had just left the room no more than a few minutes. Checking Severus' pulse, Harry let his breath go as he felt Severus' heart beat steady and strong. Looking around again, Harry frowned deeper as he gathered the unconscious Potions Professor into his arms. _This can't be right._ Harry thought. This room that he was in was no bigger than his room back at the Dursley's and yet Harry can clearly pick up Severus' scent all over the room.

"Oh sweet Morgane's Breathe!" Ginny's voice snapped Harry back to attention.

"Gin?" Harry replied in surprise, as if not believing his eyes even though his nose told the truth, Ginny quickly rushed to her _on'frat_'s, her brother's, side and looked at the Fallen Dark Wizard being gently cradled in Harry's arms.

"What happened?" She asked.

"What are you doing here?"

Gin looked at Harry. She knew that he heard her but was not going to answer unless she answered him. It was his protective streak kicking in. She had seen it enough times that she was not offended at all.

"I followed that little fellow when he parctically popped out of the shadows." Gin explained.

"What lil' --" Harry did not finish his question for he was interrupted by a soft sound that was a mix of a dove's coo and a kitten's purr. Harry's dog-ears twitched and caught the source of the sound behind him. Looking over his shoulder, Harry spotted a large brown... Furball. There was no other way of describing it. It was a furball with no noticable appendages with the exception of a pair of illegally large golden eyes. Eyes like of which Harry had seen in one of those japanese animations that Dudley watched.

"Yes, that little fellow." Gin confirmed then narrowed her eyes on Harry; daring him to avoid her question. "Now, what happened?"

Harry smirked at her challenge. To be challenged by her was not at all threatening but pleasing. It meant she was strong and unafraid; just as one would expect the Lady of the Northern Lands and Blood-Sister of the Savior of the Wizarding World should be. However, as he looked down at his precious bundle, Harry's smirk disappeared.

"He was attacked."

"Attacked! By who? And in _here!_"

Gin looked around the little room. Ginny knew that Professor Snape was an exceptional fighter, but even in _this_ room, there was not much room to do anything but to take the hit, and considering his weaken state earlier... No wonder the Professor of Potions was out cold.

"Don't concern yourself on who." Harry commanded. Ginny gasped in shock. She _knew_ that Harry knew who was responsible, and the fact that the responsible party was in Grimmauld Place unnerved Ginny a bit. Were they not all allies in this war against Voldemort's Madness? If so then why attack one of your own? "I'll deal with the _yathus_ in due time, but for now, let's get him in a more..." Harry paused for a right word, but Gin beat him to it.

"Spacious room."

Harry nodded his head. As he was about to get to his feet, Ginny stopped him

"Waitaminute!"

She placed a hand on the center of Severus' forehead and a hand over his heart. Her pale complexion glowed faintly as did Severus'. As quickly as the glow came, it disappeared. This was not the first time Harry had seen Gin perform such as feat. It was not the first time that Harry had seen his _imoutsor_ perform a simple healing-scan; a benefit from the Blood-Oath.

Harry watched her carefully for signs of dizziness. Gin just smiled; she was becoming stronger in use of her Healing powers.

"I just checked for his injuries. Aside from being drained of energy, he'll have a nasty bump on the back of his head and a large bruise on his back from hitting the wall. I just infused a bit of my magic to keep him from having a nasty headache when he wakes up. You know how he gets when he has a headache."

Harry nodded and swiftly got to his feet. Ginny watched in amazement at the ease in which he rose, especially since he was carrying a full-grown, unconscious man in his arms. Harry noticed Ginny's stare and sheepishly grinned.

"It's a demon-thing." Harry said.

"Yeah, a demon-thing." Ginny remarked with a grin matching in the Twin's mischief, then quickly followed Harry out. Totally oblivious to the fact that she saw Harry in his true form and not the form under the concealment spell. So accustome to Harry's demon form that it was not until Harry placed Severus on a bed of one of many guestrooms and not until he was gently caressing Severus' face, due to having flesh-tearing sharp claws, did Ginny notice.

"Harry!" She hissed; drawing Harry's attention. "Your hands!"

Frowning Harry looked at his hands.

"_Ben_!" Harry swore as he quickly replaced his concealment spell back on.

And in time too for Severus was slowly regaining consciousness. Harry slowly drew back to Ginny's location. Slipping a hand into her's, Harry lead Gin quietly out of the room into his master bedroom through a Shadow-walk.

Once on the other side, Harry released Gin, who began giggling. Harry arched an eyebrow.

"It felt like walking through a mist." She explained; causing Harry to grin a little. He then quickly turned around when Gin stopped him again. "Where are you going?"

"A few things I need to deal with."

"Such as?"

"One, getting Sev- Professor Snape's things moved into the new room. Second, I think I found a way to stop Voldemort from attacking Frejj's House... No, I won't tell you... Not yet, at least. I have to see if it works first then I'll fill you on the details. Promise."

"'Kay," Ginny nodded then asked, "And what about Professor Snape's attacker? What are you going to do about him?"

Harry's emerald greens were invaded by unearthly gold and bloody crimson flecks as he bared his fangs in a smirk.

Ginny's blood began to rush in anticipation. The small amount of demon blood that flowed through her veins could _feel_ the urge of a Hunt that was emanating from her _Shih'nus-on'frat_, her Lord-Brother. His desire for a bloodhunt echoed in her own being. To match his feral look, Ginny's own jadite green eyes darken as she gave her own dark smirk that could probably have her older Twin brothers fleeing for their lives.

"He'll pay. He'll pay soon enough, _wata neus Red'mina-imoutsor_, My Lady-Sister." Harry cooed; making Ginny squeal in excitement and anxious to witness vengence.

Oh yes, she could not wait but wait she must as Harry disappeared into the Shadows. Into the world in which he was the lead-male, the Alpha, the master, the _Shih'nus_. Ginny smiled; a devilish smile that definitely would scare even her older twin brothers.

"Light and Evil look out for there's a new force to be reckon with, and that force is Darkness." Ginny whispered then turned around and began to clean the master bedroom since Hermione was with her mother and Tonks in the now deserted kitchen and to expell the sudden pent up energy trapped in her tiny being.

Harry quickly found Kreacher with the help of _Kagumb_, who directed Harry toward the trecherous creature's little holt.

Kreacher's eyes grew wide as it saw Harry emerged from the Shadows and the concealment spell partially dropped. It was pointless to have the spell on before a house-elf. Due to the nature of the house-elf's servitude, their magic allowed them to see things differently than wizards and muggles alike. However, Harry did not know this. He just enjoyed showing the traitous creature who the true Master of Grimmauld Place was.

Normally Harry would not resort to such Slytherine tactics, but today, he needed to curb his demon bloodlust after leaving Severus in his new room. Of course, Harry did not truly exposed his true self to the now mute house-elf. Enough of him was exposed to put the fear of Creation into the now trembling creature.

"Good now." Harry cooed as he smelled Kreacher's fear. Normally such a scent would churn Harry's stomache, but his demon blood revivaled in the fear of its enemy. "Gather Severus Snape's things from his old room and put them in his new room. The guest bedroom third door down on the left from the old room. And don't let _anyone_ sway you from your assignment. Am I understood?"

Kreacher's head bobbed up and down as he quickly disappeared with a pop.

Harry quickly slipped back into the familiar shadows; back into the small abandoned room with a perturbed expression on his face, which caused Sirius and K'lika onto their feet. _Kagumb_ remained quietly in his position next to Harry's seat.

"_Wata neus Shih'nus_?" K'lika called.

:It's nothing. Just that damned house-elf.: Harry mumbled as he looked at _Kagumb_, who returned his own gaze on Harry. :He's unusually obediant of my commands.:

:What are you planning, _wata neus Shih'nus_: Sirius asked as he noticed the contemplative look Harry's face after his last comment. Personally, Sirius would rather have destroyed the trecherous thing, especially after what Harry had told him about the damned thing. It was safer for everyone involved but then again Harry was not him, in which case, Sirius was greatful for that.

:_Kagumb_, could you do the same thing that you did here but on a larger scale:

_Kagumb_ tilted his head to the side as if he was thinking, but Harry knew that _Kagumb_ was listening to the Shadows.

:You're planning to use _Kagumb_ as a Scout.: Sirius stated Harry's plan.

:Yes, I want _Kagumb _to scout Voldemort's activities and if possible clear the innocent out of harms way.:

:This I can do. _Kagumb_ exist everywhere. My touch can touch all _Kagumb_.: _Kagumb_ calmly stated. :The Shadow-lings can help as well.:

:Shadow-lings: Harry asked.

_Kagumb_ smiled; a ghostly smile that told all that he knew _everything_.

Suddenly from behind him, _Kagumb_ unfurled his shadow-black wings. His wings blended in with the Shadows. As his wings unfurled, a familiar sound echoed in the quiet room. It was a mix of a dove's coo and a kitten's purr. Suddenly several pairs of illegally large golden eyes appeared against the black shadows of _Kagumb_'s wing.

Sirius suddenly appeared before Harry in a crouched position.

K'lika took to the air.

Harry placed a calm hand on Sirius' shoulder; having a good guess already as to what was going to appear.

Suddenly three dark brown furballs of varies sizes popped out of the Shadows.

Harry smiled.

:The Shadow-lings are my eyes. They can protect the Innocent.: _Kagumb_ explained his plan. While he still had his ghostly smile, _Kagumb_'s eyes changed colors and became sharp with a hunter's anticipation:As I hunt the Prey.:

Harry bared his fangs in echoed anticipation.

:Hunt those that the Shadows' rejects for their hearts and souls are rotten, but leave Voldemort to me.:

:As you command, _Shih'nus ded Kagumb_.: _Kagumb_ solemnly purred as he disappeared into the Shadows along with the Shadow-lings.

Sirius relaxed as he glanced at Harry from over his shoulder. Although his expression was neutral, Sirius' crimson eyes were filled with bloodlust. He understood his Lord and Master's plan. He was pleased with the course of action that his Master and Friend was taking.

If the so-called guardians were to do nothing then another force must come into play to protect the innocent. Sirius smiled. No longer was this a battle between good versus evil. Now was a battle between the Darkness versus the Blinding Light of Good and Evil.

K'lika smiled. She was amazed at the growth of her Lord's Blood Childe; a few short months ago, Harry came into his inheritance confused and frighten, and now... Harry embraced his inheritance with confidence and vigor. She was confident in his abilities as a leader and a lord. She will remain to see further what this Child-Lord had plan to do against his enemies. As she faded away back to the sanctum of _Ma-terrarum_, she smiled even deeper at Harry and Sirius interaction with one and another. The future was set in motion, and laid safely in the hands of one Harold James Potter-Haijime, Lord of the Northern Lands and Master of Shadows. K'lika smiled.

Let the Adventure begin.

**Translations:**

**_Kagumb ded Shih'nus _(youm'-lingua) Shadow of the Lord**

**_Ma-terrarum _(youm'-lingua) Demon World**

**_yathus _(youm'-lingua) bastard**

**_miasma _(Japanese) evil fog/ aura**

**_shisor(n)_ (youm'-lingua) female sibling(s)**

**_haita_ (youm'-lingua) yes**

**_an'sor_ (youm'-lingua) older sister**

**_Kagumb_ (youm'-lingua) Shadow**

**_watanost Shih'nus_ (youm'- lingua) Our Lord**

**_on'frat_ (youm'-lingua) older brother**

**_imoutsor _(youm'-lingua) younger sister**

**_ben_ (youm'-lingua) shit**

**_Shih'nus-on'frat _(youm'-lingua) Lord-Brother**

**_wata neus Red'mins-imoutsor_ (youm'-lingua) my Lady-Sister**

**_Shih'nus ded Kagumb_ (youm'-lingua) Lord of Shadow**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8:_ The Ice Prince_

Images of the British countryside blurred by as Hogwarts Express made its yearly trip back to the magical school known as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and as a young ashen-blond haired youth known school wide as the Infamous Ice Prince was lost in his own thoughts. In his mind, the silvery-blue eyed youth replayed the events that accured only moments before. It confused him. He confessed in the beginning that the moment he stepped onto the train, he felt a mysterious pull in the back of his mind and heart. The strange pull was like a constant whisper of warmth of the likes which he had not felt since his early childhood before his _Father_ began his training. This warmth strangely comforted his forlorn heart, and he clung onto it like a dying man clinging to life. His first instinct was to seek the source out, but he was a Malfoy even if only in name and by his _Father_'s hand. A Malfoy had self-control, especially over instincts. Sighing deeply Draco Malfoy replayed the events from moments before in his mind in hopes of finding some answers, but to be honest, he was thoroughly confused.

/Flashback

Successfully pushing the warm pull to the back of his mind, Draco nodded his greetings to his two companions, Crabbe and Goyle, before disappearing to the back compartment, where the Prefects, Head Boy and Girl met for their annual pre-term meeting. His cold silver-blue eyes studied the other students with cold calculation, as they waited to begin the meeting, before the deadly blues narrowed on the infamous firey top of one Ronald Weasley. Jaws clenched tight at the sight of the red-haired prat. Draco bit back a growl at the thought of the Weasel; unknowingly kept the Ice Prince from what he longed and desired for; however, Draco would never admit it. While he glared at the red-haired youth, Draco immediately noticed something amiss...

_Hermione Granger!_ Last year Weasley and Granger were side-by-side, inseperable to the point that everyone wondered when they would actually get together. Hell, it was so obvious that they liked each other that Blaise even started a pool shortly after the school term began last year, but now...

Draco frowned and shook his head to rid himself of his thoughts of concern. _HE's rubbing off on me_. Draco mentally chided himself. It was not like he cared about them; he did not. Looking around again then mentally groaned for the only free spot was next to Granger, who seemed oblivious to everyone around her as she petted a strange cream-colored cat. Draco arched a pale eyebrow as he noticed the new feline. Mentally he cheered that the muggle-born witch got rid of that mangy tabby cat, Crookshanks or whatever its name was. Standing tall, he made his way toward the short bushy-haired girl. Personally he had nothing against the muggle-born girl. In his mind, she was the only worthy opponent, aside from Potter, that could really test his limits, but he would never admit that, not even under _Veritasumus_. Without asking, Draco seated himself next to the young woman, who suddenly flinched once she noticed him. Her hazel-brown eyes grew large with fear, which unnerved Draco. _She never looked at me like that before_. He quickly discovered that he did not like that look on her. Frowning at his discovery, Draco looked down at the cream-colored cat, which was growling at him with its dark crimson eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. Draco shuddered at the thought of the strange feline looking at him with deadly warning, but kept it barely noticeable.

"What's the matta Ferret-face? Cold?" Weasley's voice broke the odd staring contest between himself and the cream-colored cat. A part of him was relieved at being distracted away from a creature, who could probably make the Dark Lord nervous with its stare; however, another part of him wished it was not the Weasel-brain, who distracted him. Oh well, what was that muggle saying that _HE_ always saying ... _Ah yes! Beggars can't be choosy._ Looking up, Draco caught a strange expression in Granger's hazel-brown eyes but dismissed it as he stared down or rather up at the lanky youth.

"Why no Weasel. It just startled me to see that you still retain your Prefect badge." Draco drawled. Internally smirking at how easily riled Weasley got then he continued with his onslaught on what he truly believed but then again would never admit it even under pain of death, "I would honestly think that Dumbledor would come to his senses and give it to Potter."

_Score!_ Draco mentally cheered at the immediate silence from Weasley, but his victory was short lived when a whimper from Granger caught his attention. From the coner of his eye, Draco watched Granger hold onto the mysterious feline for dear life while said feline began growling very loudly; too loudly for a feline of its size, and the air suddenly around them became uncomfortably hot. Draco's silvery-blues widen. _Bloody Hell! She's scared! Of Weasel-brain!_

"Potter!" Weasley suddenly growled out; startling Draco to his feet and his hand itched for his wand.

"**POTTER! POTTER! POTTER!**" Weasley bellowed as he threw a venomous glare at the frighten girl. Uncertain at what to do, Draco remained still as he watched a member of the Golden Trio storm out of the compartment. _Bloody Hell! What just happened!_ Oh sure, everyone knew that Weasley had a temper and a jealous streak a mile wide, but this...? This was insane! Even Draco, deep in the pits of his stomache, knew this was insane. Whatever happened to the Golden Trio over the summer had caused someone's true colors to be revealed. Perhaps this would be his chance... _Perhaps._ Draco thought as he returned focus on the events at hand. Passing a startled look to Granger, Draco discovered that he was not only one confused; he was just better at hiding it then the others. Everyone in the compartment was watching them, but Draco ignored them all. The answers to all the rampant questions lied in the trembling young witch next to him. So startled by Weasley's outburst and the cold glare at Granger, Draco failed to realize that he sat next to the frighten girl and gathered her into his arms. So natural was his reaction of comfort as he had done this on a numerous of occasions before that the young Ice Prince failed to noticed the other students in the compartment with their wide-eyed stares, especially Pansy's shocked expression nor did he noticed that the strange cat gave up its glares and growls as its expression took up a bored and indifferent expression.

"I-I'm sorry." Draco surprised himself at how easily he forgot his role as a Malfoy.

"N-Not your f-fault." Granger replied, "He's b-been like th-that a-all s-summer."

Draco frowned at Granger's revelation and stuttering. Now, what happened to his strong-willed opponent? Before he could voice his concern, a cough suddenly caused the two rivals to part. Draco glared at all who stared at them and mentally challenged them to say anything; anything at all, especially Pansy. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Granger nervously playing with the cat's collar before becoming lost in his own thoughts again. With all drama gone and done with, Professor Sinistra of Slytherine House and the resident Empath began the meeting without further interruptions and without Weasley. The meeting gone by so quickly that while Draco was trying to understand what had happened, he was startled by the Slytherine Professor calling his name.

"Yes, Professor?" Draco drawled as if he was tried of being in their presence.

"I just announced this year's Head Boy and Girl." The Professor replied with equal boredom; a game played by all Slytherines when trying to cover up one's amusment or one's embarassment.

"So?"

"You're it." A soft voice answered. Draco snapped his attention toward the young witch next to him. He was surprised that Granger replied without a stutter for once.

"Thank You, Miss Granger." Draco quickly noticed the gentleness in Professor Sinistra's voice. An elegant eyebrow arched as he watched one of his professors come near to pin his Badge. Professor Sinistra did not even bother to hid her gentle behavior toward the young Gyffindor witch, an act which Draco knew that she had never done for any Gyffindor or anyone else for that matter. That was a privilege reserved for only certain Slytherines; the special Slytherines that have even darker secrets than his own. "Alright, all official announcement have been made, and I am certain many of you wish to return to your friends. Good Day."

With that said Professor Sinistra left as did many of the Prefects. Draco waited as he watched Granger; fidgeting as she watched the others leave. Frighten hazel-brown eyes looked up and locked with cold silver-blue. Suddenly Granger smiled, which gently touched her wide eyes. Shocked at the sudden change, Draco noticed the strange feline asleep and Granger's tense muscles relaxing. Frowning at Granger's sudden ease in his presence, Draco stood up and glared at the muggle-born girl.

"Don't you dare think that we are friends, _Granger_." Draco sneered at her, but she just continued to smile, "I just don't like it when men treat their women like shite."

With his piece said and his public facade in place, Draco stalked out of the compartment but stopped when the soft voice called out, "Thank you, Draco Malfoy. Strangely I feel safe around you."

End of Flashback/

_"Thank you, Draco Malfoy. Strangely I feel safe around you."_

Granger's words echoed in Draco's mind; it stirred a familiar warmth in his heart. It was nice that he could make another feel safe; someone other than family. It pleased him that she felt safe around him. Her words were not said in hopes to gain favor with him, but her words sounded as if she was speaking to a real friend. He frowned. Did he really want her as a friend? Shaking his head, he quickly realized that something was amiss not just with Granger but with himself as well. Perhaps this was the "change" and "appreciation of the little things" that his Godfather had spoken about after that Night. Perhaps he was finally understanding what his _true_ Father was trying to teach him all those years ago. Suddenly the forgotten pull surfaced; causing Draco's body to stiffen.

"Eh... Dray? You okay?" Crabbe asked once he noticed his smaller leader's tense form.

"Hm? Dunno..." Draco's voice trailed off as he tried to focus on the pull. Crabbe and Goyle suddenly looked at each other with concern; their concern glances did not escape Draco's notice, but he ignored it in favor of determining the source of the strange and yet comforting pull.

**KL-SWOOSH!**

"DRAY-BABY!"

Draco instantly felt a headache forming as his eye twitched in annoyance at the abhorred nickname that one flamboyent, hyper-active Slytherine gave him. Mentally praying to the Four Founders for strength, Draco settled a cold, murderous glare on his classmate, but as always the infamous Malfoy Glare was lost on the carmel-colored youth. The said youth slide into the compartment and snuggled up to the Ice Prince. If it were any other insane, idiotic friend, Draco would have cursed the living tar out of him. However, this was his childhood friend, Blaise Zambini.

"Blaise." Draco growled in annoyance.

"Dray-baby!" Blaise chirped in excitement, "You'll **_NEVER _**believe what I just saw!"

Draco sighed at his friend's overdramatic tendencies, but he was curious in what Blaise had discovered to make act so.. so.. So flamboyent.

"And what would that be, Blaise?"

"I just saw Dean accost a certain red-haired angel of our very own Dragon!" Blaise whispered dramatically at Draco's two companions, who suddenly blanched in fear.

Crabbe and Goyle knew of whom Blaise was talking about, and they knew very intimately the fury of a Malfoy, especially when something or someone under their possession was harmed or threatened. Hell, they have seen it in action when they first became friends when an older Slytherine had insulted the two thug-looking wizards' intelligence. Fortunately in the House of Snakes, the students had always dealt with issues in-house rather than going to a Professor or the Head of House even though in that case they had to have the Head of House get involved or else there would have been one seriously injuried snake.

The two acting bodyguards became pale as the local ghosts when they saw the steely fury in Draco's silvery-blue eyes. As much as they appreciated Draco's possessive stance of protecting his friends, it was just down right scary to see the young blond to go berserker on another student. They pitied Dean... Well, maybe only a little.

Suddenly Blaise gave an undignified squeak as Draco grapped the front of the Italian descendent's shirt. Coming face to face with the cold fury of the young Malfoy hier, Blaise prayed to the gods of his Roman anscentors that he _was _the enraged Ice Prince's friend, but even though being the Ice Prince's friend, it did not quell the unbriddle fear swelling in the pits of his stomache.

"What did you say." Draco growled; dangerously low that Blaise was afraid to ask his pale skinned friend to repeat himself.

"I said that Dean accosted _her_." Blaise did not dare to speak the young witch's name for fear of listening walls, who could do more harm to the poor, unsuspected witch. Another undignified squeak came from the carmel-colored wizard.

"Seriously Draco," a bemused female voice broke the deadly tension, "if you strangle the idiot then you'll miss the _very _interesting part."

Draco's silvery-blue eyes narrowed on the well-endowned female friend of the group as she seated herself between Crabbe and Goyle. The two boys scooted apart to give her room as they both fought a blush kissing their cheeks. Draco waited for a very few short seconds before he allowed his patience to evaporate like mist. Growling much like his namesake, Draco released Blaise.

"What she talkin' 'bout?"

Blaise took a deep breathe of his new precious, best friend named Oxygen.

"What the sweet and the beautiful -- "

"Aw, flattery will get you everything." The dark haired witch smiled.

"-- Millie was saying is that your little angel was saved by Longbottom of all people."

The silence was deafening.

Outside the Slytherine Prince's compartment, a group of first year and second year students were happily talking about their summer holidays and excitement in coming to the fabled school known as Hogwarts. All was carefree and peaceful.

"**SAY WHAT!**"

The battle cry startled the first and second years to quickly run for cover.

While in the back of the train, a certain group was startled by the cry but slowly relaxed when their alpha just arched an eyebrow and shrugged before returning to his cozy nap.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9:_ The Shiv'n_

Sighing Harry watched his _shisorn_, his sisters, go their seperate ways. Ginny had gone to see old friends, and Mina had gone to the pre-term meeting with Sirius perched comfortable on her shoulder as a guard, and Ron was leading her to the meeting. Harry frowned as he thought of the red-head's behavior during the summer. He knew of his friend's tantrums, and they had always gone away after a cooling period but now... Harry could not rid himself of the distrubing feeling that he had gained himself another enemy. _Get a grip of yourself, Harry_. He scolded himself for his paranoia as he began looking for an empty compartment for himself and his family. He smiled at the pleasant thought. _A family_, he always desired one, and now he had one. Glancing into each compartment, Harry tried to remember when he, Harry the Human, began thinking of the girls as his _shisorn_ in comparison to Harry the Demon. With Mina, he knew the moment she clung onto him in the Golden Bookstore that his demon self would protect the girl with his life, but his human self saw her as his sister since the first year after the troll incident. Hell, Harry quickly discovered that he would be willing to kill to protect Ginny, especially since they were Blood-Siblings and after she helped cover his and Uncle Remy's little altercation for dominance; he never felt more proud of his _imoutsor_'s ability to keep her cool and take command of a choatic situation as she had that day. His smile widen at the simple realization that just by being near the two girls that his two halves had called them _shirsorn_.

Suddenly his muscles tensed as a familiar pull began to tug at his heart and mind; however, unlike Mina's cool, breeze-like pull and Ginny's spunky pull, this one was a bit similiar to Severus' and yet different. While the Dark Wizard's pull was subtle and yet sharp like a blade, this new pull was also subtle but it was also breezy as if the individual was aloof about life. Curious as to who it was, Harry followed the pull to the second to last compartment. With a gentle sniff of the air, Harry knew that there was only one occupant, and it was female. The witch's scent conjured the mental image of a white clothed maiden, fresh like snow-melted water, in the mist of a willow and oak tree grove. Suddenly the girl's calm scent dulled with a tinge of fear. Frowning he opened the compartment, Harry came face to face with one Luna Lovegood.

"Harry!" Her breezy voice shook with disbelief.

Harry did not like it. It was as if he was dealing with Uncle Remy again; save for the lack of fighting for dominance. Harry calmly smiled and nodded his greetings.

"Hello Luna," he relaxed his stance, "how was your summer?"

"Unfortunate." Luna sighed as she allowed the Boy-Who-Lived entrance. Harry politely took a seat across from her and waited for her to continue her tales. Looking into her mousy-brown eyes, Harry suddenly tensed as he sensed a surge of raw elemental magic coming from Luna as well as a flicker in Luna's appearance. As quickly as it came, it was gone; leaving Harry to doubt himself in seeing a third eye on her smooth forehead.

Luna choose the second to last compartment because it was away from everyone and yet she knew that Harry Potter and his friends would like it. She did not know why she really cared if Harry would like the isolation, but she did. Sitting by the window, Luna began reading the latest issue of the _Quibbler_ when she suddenly sensed a rushed of protective energy washing over her. It felt like Harry's own magic - wild, dark and yet natural like the Forbidden Forest - but it was also possessive; almost savagely so. At first, Luna was nervous about the presence, but gradually the possessive presence became a comforting blanket that kept the harsh whispers of the other students at bay. On the primal level, it felt nice to know that there was a being out there that would protect her with such fierce fevor. It felt nice to be protected.

Suddenly she tensed when she realized that the strange presence was standing right outside of her compartment. Slowly standing to her feet, Luna waited for the individual to enter, but he did not. She frowned. How did she knew the stranger behind the pane-door was male? Had she _Seen_ who was behind the pane-door? No, she would have _Seen_ more clearly; plus, she was not a hundred percent sure if the person outside in the corridor was male. Maybe it was the possessive nature that reminded Luna of a male. She snorted. _Silly pre-established stereotypical gender roles_. Luna mentally mumbled to herself as she reached for the door. Taking a deep breath, she opened the sliding door to come face to face with one Harry Potter.

"Harry!" Her brown eyes widen at the implication that _he _was the source of the possessive presence. Nibbling the inside of her cheek, she noticed a particular look in Harry's expression, but it quickly disappeared behind a calm smile, one of which usually could be found on a person trying to calm a frighten animal.

"Hello Luna, how was your summer?"

"Unfortunate." She vaguely repled as stepped aside; allowing Harry entrance. In swift and graceful movements, Harry walked in and seated himself across from her. Looking into his eyes, Luna felt her magic flaring; trying to connect with him. During the flare-up, Luna's eyes widen as she noticed the dramatic and almost demonic changes in his appearance. On top of his unruly thick black mane, a pair of black triangular ears twitched at every sound, and begging to be scratched! His emerald-green eyes seemed to glow with an ethereal fire, and somewhat hidden behind his unruly bangs, Luna noticed a beautiful smoky-grey tattoo on his forehead. The tattoo was of a solid diamond outlined by another forming into a teardrop with twin wisps on either side of the teardrop.

Luna snapped out of her daze when Harry leaned back and propped a leg onto the bench that she seated on; trapping her between his leg and the wall. Harry was frowning as he was deep in thought, which caused Luna to smile. Although his hidden appearance and presence was no longer of the old mortal and troubled Harry Potter, Luna knew that Harry will always be Harry and that this change was most definitely for the better. He looked up and smiled, but it did not reach his eyes as most of his smiles often did. His eyes showed his worry; he was worried about her. That simple fact made her heart sing.

"You said your summer was unfortunate. Why?" Harry's voice was calm, but his tone left no room for vagueness from her. She miled. _He's becoming a fine leader._

"Father and I failed in our search for the Gurstones, the stone flies which gives the insides of a rock its crystal shine." Luna began. Harry nodded in sympathy, but she knew he did not believe in the creature's existence. His emerald-green eyes narrowed; sensing she was not upset over that but something far more important. She sadly smiled as she continued, "My magic has also begin to become difficult for me to control."

"What? How's that possible?" His voice was a comforting whisper. He attempted to straighten, but Luna placed a hand on his foot; signaling him to remain still.

Before Harry could ask his question again, his entire body froze as the small compartment began to fill with the same raw magic that he had felt earlier. It caused his hackles to raise. The magic was similar to the earlier pull; subtle, breezy and aloof. Harry quickly associated this aloof quality of the released magic to Luna's own aloof personality. At least to him, she always knew more than she let on. He tried again to move his leg, but Luna tighten her grip on his foot. Harry knew that Luna had no real strength to keep him in place and that she was only signalling him to remain, but in any case he complied to her wishes. Suddenly his breath was caught in his throat as he watched a third eye slowly open on Luna's forehead. Staring at him, Harry noted the third eye was the same mousy-brown as her other two eyes. Licking his lips, he looked directly into Luna's eyes. _She's afraid._ His sensitive nose picked up the bitter scent of fear radiating off of her. He frowned.

"You shouldn't be afraid of me, Luna." His voice was soft and sincere; making Luna relax and smile. "You're not the only one who's different. I..."

"I know!" Luna cheerfully interrupted.

"Hunh?" His emerald-green eyes blinked in confusion for two reasons. The first was the cheer in Luna's declaration, and the second was how did she know. _Unless her Eye..._ His eyes widen, "You're Eye?"

"Only glimpses!" Luna quickly assured the young demon-lord.

Upon revelation, Harry relaxed; however, his expression demanded further explanation. Luna smiled. Most would have been offended by Harry's harsh expression; saying that he was acting like a spoiled brat, but not Luna. She knew and understood Harry. He was the Boy-Who-Lived with many secrets, and if a secret was known, he needed to know who he could trust with it. With one last glance at the tempting ears perched ontop of his unraly mane, Luna understood that _this_ secret must be kept at all costs. She may be aloof, but she was no fool. She knew that the only way for Harry to recieve such... Such exotic and yet demonic appearance and presence was to have the Blood of the Dark Ones coursing through his veins. Harry had Demon Blood.

"My Eye allows me to see things that are hidden; however, if the concealment is strong, I can only see glimpses." Luna calmly explained as she called her magic back into her tiny body and closing her third eye; hiding it from the world.

"I see." Harry replied. He did not miss Luna's last glance at his ears; causing him to smirk because the little glances reminded him of Gin taking longing glances at his ears, but his smirk quickly disappeared as he noticed that Luna was slightly out of breath and flushed in the face. "Is your eye making it difficult for you to control your magic?"

"Yes." Luna began, "My Eye increases my magic's strength. I'm afraid without proper teachings in controlling my Eye that I'll lose control and ..."

Harry patiently waited for Luna continue, but instead he watched her eyes cloud over in fear as she looked away. He frowned. He hated the scent of fear from his friends, especially when he had the power to prevent it. Sighing Harry closed his eyes as he tried to think of a way to help his aloof friend, a friend who embraced the Shadows and was embraced by the Shadows.

Harry quickly discovered over the summer break that the individuals that he could trust or at least learn to trust were individuals who have been touched by the Darkness of the Human Soul. These touched souls were of individuals who suffered in silent strength against prejudice, against a violent crime on their person, witnessed a violent crime that awoken them from blinding faith of madness, and everything else that would cause a person to be shunned by so-called civilized society.

"Harry?" Luna's voice was barely a whisper; awakening Harry from his wonderings.

Opening his eyes, Harry noted a light pink-hue kissing Luna's cheek as she looked at him. Arching an eyebrow, he watched her eyes flicker toward where his triangular ears were hidden. A small smile stretched across his face.

"Yes, Luna?" His voice replied as smooth as silk; causing her blush to deepen.

"Uhm... H-how do you keep your powers in check? Yes! How do you keep your powers in check? I mean you feel stronger! Stronger than before! How do you do it?" She covered her true intent under true curiosity, which caused Harry to smirk then restrained himself from smacking his forehead.

"Of course! Limiters!"

"Limiters?"

Harry smiled as he pointed to the golden cuffs on his ears. Once pointed out, Luna noticed two golden cuffs on his right ear and one on his left earlobe. Then she also noted golden thumb rings; two on his left thumb and one on his right thumb. Luna looked at him questioningly. She knew that Harry never wore jewelry before, but it most definitely suited him.

"Limiter's contain one's powers. All I need is a vile of your blood, and a Limiter can be made specifically for you!"

Luna's mousy brown eyes lite up.

"Really!"

"Yeah, plus with a Limiter, you'll be able to gradually learn to control your growing powers."

"You would get a Limiter for me?" Luna's voice was breezy, "Even though I have a third eye?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Harry blinked in confusion; making Luna realize that he did not know all the prejudices of the Wizarding World, "Luna, you're a friend in need of help, and I'm going to help you. Now, why are you so afraid?"

Luna's body tensed when he leaned forward and looked directly into her eye.

"I-I..."

"Don't lie to me. I can smell it when you do." Luna's mouth formed an 'o' as she quickly realized that she would have to trust him as he trusted her.

"The Wizarding World believes having a third eye is evil..."

"I see." He interrupted. Harry gathered her slender hands into his own then continued, "I am not the Wizarding World. I am not of the Wizarding World. I am your friend, Harry, and I will never see you as evil. Do you understand?"

Luna's face lite up with a smile. Suddenly the blush returned as her eyes flickered toward his crown. Harry chuckled. He knew what Luna wanted. He had seen Ginny give the same fleeting and longing looks a number of times during the summer that he knew instantly what Luna wanted. Shifting the concealment spell to a glamour spell, Harry moved from his seat and laid his head in Luna's lap. The shift in spells would allow Luna to _feel_ his demonic ears while under a glamour spell. A glamour spell was designed to trick the visual synapses in a person's brain. A concealmnt spell was designed not only to trick the visual cortex but also every sensory perception a _nin-nus_ had.

Luna blush quickly deepen as she watched Harry made himself comfortable. With his eyes closed and body relaxing, Harry slowly drifted to a light doze as Luna's presence gave him a peace of mind. Suddenly a low purr echoed in the quiet compartment as Luna gained the courage to feel out and scratch the trangular ears but being mindful of the golden cuffs. Smiling Luna allowed the content purr and the rhythm of scratching Harry's relax her anxious form. While watching his relax form, Luna came to a single decision. Her powers would serve Harry in his fight against the young Lord's enemies, whoever they may be. She would be by his side for as long as her services would be needed. Yes, this was her decision, and she smiled.

**Translations:**

**_shisor(n) _(youm'-lingua) sister(s)**

**_imoutsor_ (youm'-lingua) younger sister**

**_nin-nus_ (youm'-lingua) human**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10:_ The Guardian's Courage_

"Eh... Ginny? 'Ello!" A young honey-blond witch called; attempting to gain her fire-haired friend's attention.

"Hm?" The firey red-head replied as she snapped out of her daze; unaware of the smile on her face.

"Whatcha smilin' 'bout?" Another witch asked with a mischievous glint in her chocolate brown eyes. Both girls caught the glint and knew only trouble would come of it, and Ginny was even more wary of her Hindu friend since said glint was directed specifically toward her. "Thinkin' 'bout Dean?"

"HELL NO!" Ginny exclaimed quickly and a bit forcefully; shocking her two friends.

"No?" The honey-blond asked as her jade-green eyes blinked owlishly then continued, "I thought you two were an item."

"Not any more." Ginny replied bitterly as the thought of the older Gyffindor left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Why not?" The darker witch asked not bothering to hide the dangerous undertone in her voice; reminding Ginny a bit of her older Blood-Brother.

"He's too controlling. I broke it off before he became too possessive." Ginny explained; hoping that her friends would not say another word, especially to Harry. Ginny knew that her _on'frat_ would learn about the break-up soon, and although Ginny felt the older Gryffindor was too possessive for his own good, she was still compassionate enough to _not_ sic her demonic brother on him.

"Okay... then why are you smiling?" Asked the same witch; causing Ginny to hesitate before answering. How could she explain the content feeling she was receiving from Harry and from another presence? How could she explain the feeling of safety that she was receiving from Hermione, especially after the constant sense of fear, and the feeling of great confidence from another unknown presence? How could she explain these feelings to her two friends? Looking at them, Ginny just shrugged. She sensed that these feelings were meant for her and her only as Harry's Blood-Sister; plus the Dark Secret, as she began to call Hermione's secret, was related to the feeling of Hermione's fear which her friends did not need to know yet. Ginny's friends knew her well enough that if they needed to know then they would know.

As quickly as the winds come and go so did their subjects changed; from ex-boyfriends to mysterious smiles, the three friends continued their gossip about their summer holidays. Sally, the honey-blond haired witch, worked part time at an older cousin's animal hospital in the Muggle World, and Nina visited her family in India. Ginny glossed over her stay at Grimmauld Place by saying that she stayed at a family friend's home; causing the other two girls to think mischievously.

"You two..." Ginny groaned then suddenly snapped her attention toward the compartment door.

"Gin?" Nina called while they followed Ginny's gaze.

It was faint but there it was nonetheless. In her mind and her heart, Ginny felt a small and faint pull. Allowing her thoughts wonder toward the pull, the feel became more noticeable, and she could place an image to it. In her mind's eye, Ginny pictured a silohuette of an individual watching over her. Biting her lower lip, Ginny slowly realized that the presence was watching over her much like a protecting guardian would.

**KL-SWOOSH**

All three girls gasped and eeped as the compartment door slide open and revealed a nervous looking Neville Longbottom. Ginny relaxed and smiled gently at the kind, older Gyffindor.

"Hello, Nev!" Ginny cheerfully called.

"'Ello, Ginny."

"Hi Neville!" Nina and Sally called as one, which caused the shy boy to blush.

"What can we do for ya?" Nina asked.

"Trevor is missing..."

"Say no more!" Sally interrupted as she sprung to her feet; followed by Nina, who replied, "We'll help find 'im!"

"Thanks." Neville said to the retreating back of the two younger witches. Turning back to Ginny, who looked at him oddly. "Do I have dirt on my face?"

"Hunh? No!" Ginny quickly replied once out of her daze and followed the girls down the corridor; asking if anyone knew the location of the unfaithful, missing toad.

"Hey, Baby!" Cooed a voice that Ginny had really hoped of not hearing so soon. Suddenly a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her slender waist. Ginny had to force herself from shuddering visibly at the unwelcomed touch.

"Let go!" Ginny growled out as she struggled against her capture; really wishing that the Blood-Oath had given her just a small amount of demonic strength. Just a little, but alas that was not the case for the Blood-Oath only awoken her dormant abilities. She continued to struggle which she knew was a bad idea but she rather struggle than do nothing at all.

Upon hearing Ginny's growl and command, Neville turned around quickly thinking that a Slytherine was harming his friend's younger sister; however, he was stunned to see that it was Dean Thomas that Ginny was trying to get away from. Perturbed by Dean's aggressive manhandling of the youngest Weasley, Neville quickly rushed to the young witch's side.

"Let her go, Dean!" Neville called out. Mentally frowning at himself... _Even when I shout, I have no voice!_ However, even though his voice was soft and lacked the authority like someone say Harry Potter, it still had an effect on Dean, who was surprised that the normally timid wizard would tell _him _to do something. Neville wisely, for the moment that Dean was stunned, grabbed Ginny out of his arms.

Ginny too was stunned to hear such a quiet command out of Neville's mouth. Throughout the summer she had heard commands given in a variety of tones and voice, but nothing prepared her for the ever so soft command. It was hard for her to describe it to even _herself_,and she had bloody _heard _it. There was an undertone; it was quiet and subtle. If Neville's voice was an object that Ginny had to name then would she name it the Nile River in Egypt. She and her family visited Egypt during her second year, and during her stay, she had seen the great river flood to impressive heights. The Great Nile flooded but not violently like most rivers do... It was just plain hard to describe and yet very awe inspiring. She could not wait to tell her _on'frat_, her brother.

As she stood by the quiet youth's side, she watched as Dean quickly recover from his shock and began glaring at the lithe youth. Ginny felt Neville tremble in fear and worry but not once backed down. _How Gryffindorish..._ Ginny thought pleasingly; yep, she definitely could not wait to tell Harry.

Neville braced himself for either a hex or a punch. Yes, he was scared. He was not ashamed to admit it, but he was not about to backed down from Dean, who was behavioring in manner that made Neville even more scared. However, the Fates were smiling down for once on the timid wizard...

"GINNY! NEVILLE!" Sally and Nina's voices echoed in the corridor. They sounded panicky; of course, coming upon the trio's little stand-off would cause any one with any sense to panic.

Dean suddenly turned around and walked the other way; avoiding one set of confrontation. Females can be very dangerous when defending each other, but what would scare him even more would be a confrontation with one Harry Bloody Potter. However, not for the same reason that Dean was thinking.

Once Dean was out of sight, Ginny felt herself sag against Neville's thin form and quietly muttered her thanks, which she knew that the older wizard heard.

"Ohmigawd! Are you alright!" Sally quickly asked as she began looking over both her friend and Neville. Neville blushed at Sally's hands ghosting over him body; checking for injuries.

"I-I-I'm fine, but Ginny..." Neville trailed off as he watched the only Weasley female keep hold of Nina, who was all gung-ho to chase after Dean and kill him. However, that was not the only thing he saw. He also saw Blaise Zambini watching them with a mischievous expression that made poor little Neville nervous. He desparately wanted to scare Blaise away but knew that he could not; however, what Ginny said did.

"Nina, you do nothing! I'll tell my _On'frat_, and he'll take care of Dean. But only when Dean has gone too far."

"Your what!" Nina and Sally asked.

"My Brother!"

"O! As if that sorry excuse of weasel can do anything!" Nina growled. Ginny never understood why Nina had no love for Ron, but after the summer, she was beginning to understand.

"Not him! Harry!" Ginny exclaimed with unbriddle pride that Neville fear she would burst.

Neville noticed from the corner of his eye that Blaise had paled, if that was even possible for the Italian descendent, and quickly disappeared. _No doubt to tell Malfoy_. Neville thought nervously.

"Harry! As in Harry Potter!" Sally hissed in shock.

"Yep," Ginny began then leaned closer and quietly whispered, "we performed a Blood Bond, but don't tell anyone."

Ginny knew she could trust her two friends. Harry even told her that if she wished then she could tell only those that she trusted about the Blood Bond.

Neville overheard Ginny's explanation and was shocked. To perform a Blood Bond was forbidden and considered to be Dark Magik, but of course, Neville knew better than that. He knew that the Blood Bond gave Harry the same rights to have a say in what Ginny did with her life as Ron, and judging how Ginny told her friends, Neville had a suspicion that Ron nor the other Weasleys knew about it. Neville did not know if this should prove entertaining or prove to be a horrible act of betrayal.

"Uhm... Ginny?" Neville began; pretending not to have overheard the girls.

Ginny looked at Neville while her two friends were startled then looked a bit sheepish. They had forgotten that he was there; however, Ginny did not and knew that he heard. She knew that Harry was planning on telling Neville. Harry trusted Neville; always had and even more so now, especially after the fight in the Ministry of Magic.

"What was that all about? I mean with Dean. Weren't you two going out?" Neville quietly asked.

"Oh that..." Ginny sighed, "We broke up. Or at least, I broke up with him. I don't think he actually believes that we're no longer together. Oh boy, Harry is not gonna be happy about this."

"No, he's not." Neville replied back quietly, but Gin heard him nonetheless and smiled.

"Oh yeah!" Sally exclaimed then looked sadly at the gentle wizard, "Sorry, but we couldn't find Trevor."

Sighing deeply, Neville gave the three girls his thanks. Sally and Nina gave him their word to keep an eye out for the unloyal familiar, which brought a small smile on his face. Ginny attempted to cheer up the downtrodden wizard.

"It's okay." Neville said in defeat. Suddenly Neville looked up as he felt a strong pull coming from the back of his mind..

"You'll be okay?" Ginny asked; completely aware that Neville too felt the comforting pull toward Harry. She smiled, "I'm gonna find Harry. I'll see you guys later!" Ginny chirped as they walked toward the second compartment to last.

Nina and Sally had gone their own way immediately after Ginny's declaration; leaving Neville alone in the corridor as he watched Ginny. Frowning Neville could not place this strange sensation but strangely enough did not fear it. It was dark, wild and natural, and it was calling to him to come. It was calling him to be stronger. It was encouraging him to come. After standing there for a few minutes, Neville walked toward the source; the second to last compartment.

The door was ajarred. Nervously he peeked into the compartment to see Ginny talking to Hermione on one side while Harry was resting his head in Luna's lap as she gently played with his unruly mane. Suspecting that he would not be welcomed, Neville slowly moved away only to be stopped by a quiet and yet commanding voice...

"Come in, Nev."

Cautiously turning around, Neville slowly opened the compartment door to stare directly into a pair of emerald green eyes. Bowing his head, Neville never knew how to really act around the famous Savior. Suddenly looking up when he heard a deep growl, Neville noticed Harry's eyes narrowing in annoyance.

"Don't shy away, Nev." Harry's voice ordered around the growl.

"Sorry." Neville replied meekly. He tensed as he watched Harry gracefully moved onto his feet and walked toward the timid wizard. _Dear Merlin!_ Neville whelped as he witnessed the regal grace that belonged to the Gryffindor Hier.

As he watched Harry intently, Neville failed to noticed a small cream-colored cat cautiously approaching him. He failed to notice as the small feline discreetly sniff the air around him; taking in his scent. Neville failed to notice the apparently pleased expression on the feline's face as it suddenly caressed itself against Neville's leg; finally gaining Neville's undivided attention as well as Harry's.

Neville looked down as his chocolate brown eyes widen in surprise at the pair of bloody crimson eyes staring at him intently. Neville seemed to lose himself in the deep sea of red, and discovered that he could not tear himself away from the feline's gaze. Subconsciously he bent down and gathered the tiny creature into his arms. When he stood up, he was surprised to see Harry's questioning expression to the small feline, who glared at the Wizarding World's Savior with half-dropped eyes and purring quite contently.

"Harry?" Neville timidly called; curious and a bit nerved at Harry's apparently silent communication with the cream-colored feline.

Harry finally looked up at the timid wizard with an arched eyebrow.

"Where's the Neville that helped me faced down ol' Fang-face?" Harry finally asked with a predatory smirk; causing the lanky youth to blink owlishly.

"Eh... I'll go get him, Harry." Neville sheepishly replied as he attempted to leave; forgetting that he was still holding the strange feline then suddenly letting out an undignifying 'eep' as someone grabbed onto the collar of his shirt and dragged him inside. Turning around, Neville was surprised that it was Ginny, who pulled him inside. Hearing a deep chuckle, Neville looked at Harry with wide eyes.

"It would seem that Gin beatcha to it." Harry smiled, "I know you're no coward so don't act like one."

Neville suddenly realized that the strange sensation was growing stronger and giving him strength, and it was coming from the one and only Harry Potter. Suddenly smiling Neville straighten his posture and made his way between Hermione and Ginny. Smiling at their friend, the two girls made room for him and began talking with him as if he had always been there. Not understanding what had come over him but rather enjoyed the liberation it brought, Neville relaxed and allowed the nervous mask to slip away to reveal a simple young man, who enjoyed the simple things in life.

**Translations:**

**_on'frat_ (youm'-lingua) older brother**


	12. Author's Note

Hello!

First off, my apologies to those who think that this is an update. I'm sorry for building up your hopes; however, this is no need for panic nor alarm. This is just a brief note to inform you of what's going on.

I know that I have been neglectful in regards to updating my pieces in a timely manner. A number of things have contributed to that, such as no computer, writer's block (that not even a nuke could penetrate), and working the graveyard shift at my civilian job (I'm surprise that I haven't turned into a vampire because of it). However, just because these factors made it difficult for me to update my pieces, it did not mean that I have abandon them. I can assure you that I have been working hard on a number of them; including a few new ones. Unfortunately, you will not be seeing any of these updates until next year. Hopefully by early March. The reason being…

Come Friday, I'm going overseas for a couples months. I know it seem like it's going to be a long time until March, but trust me, it'll be worth the wait. What I have right now is a grand total of 59 chapters that I will be working on while I'm overseas. Yeah, that is a lot of chapters, and hopefully, you will enjoy them. Uh… The break down of the chapters…

For my Harry Potter fans, I have currently 15 chapters for the 'Pack of Shadows' piece, and I wrote another piece called 'The Anniversary'. 'The Anniversary' is an one shot piece, and it has our favorite snaky Potions Master as the main character.

For my Yugi-Oh GX fans, I have 16 chapters for the 'Yukimura Curse', which actually completes the piece itself.

For my FullMetal Alchemist fans, unfortunately I do not have many chapters written for this piece. I'm discovering that it's a bit difficult to keep true to the main characters' personalities and using elements from the FMA manga. However, this does not mean that I have given up. It just means that that I will not have any chapters ready when I come home… Maybe.

Now, some of you are probably high-speed and added fifteen and sixteen together to realize that it does not make 59, unless you're really neat and using fuzzy math. But that is neither here nor there. The remaining chapters come from two new pieces that I have started. One of which is Naruto, which will have 22 chapters plus an omake, and the other piece is GetBackers, which will have 5 chapters to it. At the moment, these two pieces do not have titles so just on the look out for them come March.

Again, my apologies to those who've been hoping for updates. I unfortunately cannot give you any at this time, but I do promise that come March you will have a whole-slue of them. And again thank you for your patience and understanding, and I hope that you still appreciate my pieces.

Until next year, everyone take care and stay safe!

Tschuesla und ganz Liebe!

-Azteka


	13. Chapter 13

_**Chapter 12: **__**Into the Threshold of the Unknown**_

As the Train pulled into Hogsmeade Station, Harry and his pack had finished changing into their school clothes, and immediately Harry felt his sensitive skin prickle. He stiffen slightly at the odd sensation. It was as if someone was ever so slightly and lightly touching him with a feather. It was there and yet it was not. A frown marred his face as he looked at his clothes. He had felt something similar once before; in fact, several times before. The first time was when he walked into Grimmauld Place, and the next time was when they were at the King's Cross 9 ¾. At first, he had thought nothing of it, but now, it made him curious. Looking up thoughtfully, his bright verdant eyes peered into a pair of concerned jadeite green orbs.

Quietly mouthing the word 'later', Harry saw his blood-sister give the barest of nods in understanding. He was about to turn away when he felt a gentle tug at his sleeve. Looking down, Harry saw a pair of wide, nervous hazel-brown eyes pleading with him to not leave her alone. The half-demon smiled as he slipped a hand into her's.

"It's okay, Mina. I'm right here." Harry reassured his still fragile sister.

"Thank you." She replied softly.

"Luna," Harry called when he looked up, "I'll come by later for that item."

"I will be waiting."

Harry nodded then lead Hermione off the train.

Watching her older siblings leave, Ginny held back for a moment to speak with Luna. The young redhead suspected that her aloof friend knew the truth about Harry. How the Ravenclaw witch knew, Ginny did not know nor cared. What she cared about was Harry. Although Ginny knew that Harry could defend himself quite effectively, she was still protective of him. While Neville walked ahead of them in attempts to catch a carriage for all of them, Ginny moved closer to the pale blonde girl. Luna gave no indication of noticing Ginny's closeness while she bore a wistful expression as she watched Harry disappear from view.

"You know," Ginny began casually, catching the blonde's attention. "I'm gonna envy Harry's mate."

"Oh? Why?" Luna asked.

"Because soon only his mate can pet his ears."

Luna stopped in her tracks then looked longingly at the direction that Harry disappeared.

"Luna! Ginny! C'mon!" Neville waved at them.

Luna sighed deeply in wistful disappointment then joined Neville in the carriage but not before giving the Thestral a gentle pat. Ginny smiled in understanding as she joined her blonde friend and wondered if possibly she had an accomplice to help her blood-brother court his mate. She grinned a feral grin, which startled those around her, who had remembered her to be a sweet, shy young witch.

"C'mon! Ginny! We're leaving!" Neville shouted again.

"Coming!" Ginny replied cheerfully as she ran toward them; enjoying the feel of the run.

**~*~**

Harry looked around, over the heads of a sea of munchkins.

||:They get smaller and smaller.:|| Harry mumbled to Sirius, who was in his cat-form and comfortably perched on his Lord's shoulder.

The stoic bodyguard watched the sea of younglings with interest. He had never seen so many little ones before, not even in the orphanages in Ma-Terrarum.It truly fascinated him to seeing so many.

||:Siri… :|| Harry whispered, ||:Are _all_ the Prefects here? Including the Head Boy and Girl?:||

Uncertain by what his Lord meant, Sirius scanned the area. Among the younglings he saw, the hybrid recognized those from the beginning of the train ride. The ones who were with his Lord's _an'sor_; including the male red-head. Sirius gave a soft coo, which caused a couple of young girls to coo in delight.

_Yes!_ Harry heard within his heart and mind.

Harry absently rubbed Sirius' chest as he continued to look about.

"Mina?" Harry finally called.

"Mm…"

"Where's Hagrid? Doesn't he normally take care of the first years?"

"Normally, yes… but he's away." Mina softly replied. Harry frowned. _Away? Hunh? Could mean only one thing…_ Harry thought as he turned his focus on the Prefects trying to reign in the excited group of eleven year olds.

"Dammit! Listen to me!" A voice roared over the excited clatter.

Harry frowned. He knew who it was that yelled and was curious as to why his _an'sor_ had suddenly hid behind him.

"Potter, can't you keep that Weasel on a tighter leash?" Another voice drawled.

Looking over his shoulder, Harry watched Malfoy glaring at Ron, who was still cursing at the younglings. An eyebrow arched when he noticed a tiny, pale caramel colored boy with large, almond shaped, pale blue eyes staring at him. There was something about the small boy that drew Harry's attention to him… Something simplistic and yet grand; larger than his own mortal existence and supposed destiny. Suddenly familiar black robes with silver-green house colors blocked the tiny youth. Looking up, Harry noted Malfoy's guarded expression, and at the same time, he could not help but notice that Malfoy's own eyes were similar in shade of silvery-blue as the pale caramel colored youth.

"I asked you a question." Malfoy's tone was clipped; obviously annoyed by the Gryffindor Prefect's crude behavior.

An elegant eyebrow arched as he looked back at Ron and noticed that the boy was sporting an unhealthy shade of purple on his face, which was reminiscent of the one and only Vernon Dursley. Harry's nose crinkled a bit at the disturbing thought.

"I heard you, Malfoy." Harry finally replied with a deep frown, "But unfortunately his actions are not mine to control."

"He's _your_ friend." Malfoy sneered; causing Harry to glance at the pseudo-albino from the corner of his eye.

"I'm beginning to wonder about that." Harry replied honestly, which startled the pale blonde. Turning to his _an'sor_, who looked torn between anger and fear at Ron's behavior, "Sorry."

"For what?" Hermione asked, but instead of an answer, she watched with worried curiosity as Harry stepped forward.

"**Listen up, you munchkins and rug-rats!**" Harry roared.

Silence quickly followed as a sea of eyes belonging to the younglings stared upon him.

"Now! I know you're all excited and eager to be here!" Harry continued, "But the real adventure lies there!" Harry motioned to the lit castle on the horizon, "And to get there, you need to listen to her!" Harry then motioned to Hermione, who squeaked in surprise. "This is Mina, my sister! Listen to her, and we'll get in the castle faster! So, are you guys ready?!"

Suddenly there was an eruption of cheers.

"H-H-Harry!" Hermione squealed.

"Don't worry. I'll be right here, by your side." Harry whispered reassuringly into her ear.

Hermione looked into those vibrant emerald green eyes. She suddenly felt herself being wrapped in a familiar wild, warm and dark presence and strength. She slowly stood tall with her head held high and began to take charge.

**~*~**

It had took a grand total of half an hour to gather the new students in an organized fashion and into their respective boats. Hermione took charge much like fish to water, and had the majority of the Prefects in the lead boat, and already on the other side of the grand lake that separated Hogsmeade and Hogwarts to assist the first years onto land. The Prefects from Hufflepuff remained behind to help the Gryffindor witch as she supervised the first years' launch. With all the children safely in their boats and on their way, only one boat remained.

Harry slowly crept out of the shadows when he noted the remaining boat for them. Only himself, Mina, Malfoy and the mysterious caramel colored boy, who stuck to the Slytherin teen like glue, and the two Hufflepuff Prefects were left. Harry had sent Sirius through the shadows to the other side of the grand lake to ensure that no nasty surprises awaited for them… More specifically for him. He was not oblivious to the murderous look that Ron had been throwing at him, especially after his little announcement. He did not know why, but the raven-haired teen feared that Ron would try something. It was not that he feared that whatever the ill-tempered red head would do to him would _actually _harm him, but he was worried about the aftermath of it, especially if Mina was nearby. Ron's volatile behavior over the course of the summer had done little to help Mina in her recovery, which angered and irritated the half-demon.

"Mina."

"Hm?"

"It's time to go."

"Oh!" Hermione gasped in surprise then turned to the others to gather them together; leaving Harry with Malfoy and the strange little boy. While in the shadows, Harry and _Kaguumb_ had discussed about the youth. There was something about the little boy that drew not only Harry's attention, but also the Demon Lord's Shadow and Sirius' attention as well. It was like they could sense a sort of kinship with the human boy, which was odd. From what Harry understood about demons, demon rarely developed a kinship with humans unless there was something _**more**_ to the human. Something that was beyond description and understanding… And what was more interesting was that a certain silver-like dragon was overly protective of said boy. It was subtle but very profound, especially to a dog demon, whose species relied on body language as a form of communication.

"Okay, time to go!" Hermione called.

"Finally! I'm starved!" Cried one of the Hufflepuffs.

"What does it matter? We'll still be waiting for the Sorting and Professor Dumbledor's speech before we could eat."

"Aw! Shut up!" Was the grumbled response.

Soon the last remaining group settled into their boat and were on their way.

The trip was quiet, but there was an underlying tension in the air, which made Harry's hackles raise. Daring a small peek since Harry had his eyes closed to enjoy the rhythmic rolling of the waves, the raven-haired teen noted that all were trying to be subtle in their sneak peeks. Sitting straight up suddenly and startling the group, Harry boldly looked at each person. Only Malfoy remained staring at him.

"What?" Harry directed his question to Malfoy, but the blonde teen said nothing; just continued to stare at him; trying to figure something out.

"Why?" A soft voice finally asked.

Harry looked at his beloved _an'sor_ in confusion. It was apparent in his expression as he looked at her.

"Why? Why what?" Harry softly asked; all hash tones vanished as he looked upon her.

"Why did you tell them that I was your sister?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Harry asked with a deep frown. He had hoped that she had not backslide into thinking that she was an unworthy person. It took him and Gin nearly the entire summer to make the curly haired brunette remember who she was and that she was important… That Hermione was important to him, to Gin and to herself.

"Familial ties are sacred in the Wizarding World." Hermione began with a slight blush on her nose, "People don't go calling others 'sister' or 'brother', especially if they are not related by blood. Also by calling me your sister, you've placed me under your protection… If anything happened to me, you… you…"

"I'll defend you and protect you." Harry finished for her without hesitation. Harry then leaned forward; resting his forehead against her's and stared deeply into her hazel eyes.

"You. Are. My. Sister. Now and Forever." Harry stated firmly; feeling his magik and her's singing in harmony, "You and Gin are my sisters. Never question that and never doubt that. Understood?"

Hermione only sat there stunned as were the others in their little boat.

"Yes." She replied in a breathy tone.

"Good." Harry stated then returned to his relaxed position. He closed his eyes and sighed as he felt Mina lean against him comfortably. Harry suddenly noted that the mysterious little boy was looking at him in amazement then looked longingly at the older Slytherin, who too looked with longing at the younger boy.

**~*~**

"Dammit! Why don't they listen to me?!" Ron snarled as he tried to organize the first years like Hermione had done. However, they were ignoring him, and to make matters worse, they somehow managed to get even more excited as they stood outside of the great castle.

"It's probably because you're rude?" Lavender Brown commented off-handedly. She had been made Prefect when Hermione became Head Girl.

The hot-tempered teen glared at his housemate, who was not paying him no mind as she tended to a little girl, whose robes were on askewed. Hating to be ignored, Ron was not even aware that he had pulled his wand out nor was he aware that he was about to cast a spell on the witches until suddenly a steely grip caught his wrist. The area exploded to life with a scream from Lavender while Ron found himself staring down at several wands. Looking at the hand that held his wrist, Ron knew who had stopped him, especially with that deep, feral growl echoing throughout the area.

"Care to explain yourself, Ronald Weasley?" The voice was deep with a promise of retribution if not pleased with the answer.

Ron glared at the venomous pair of emerald orbs, which seem to hold flecks of red and gold in them. It gave the owner an even more feral look about him, which suddenly unnerved the red head male.

"Well?" Potter growled as he tighten his grip to bring back Ron from his mental wanderings.

Suddenly the previous anger swelled within the mangy lion and erupted nastily at the young Shadow Hound.

"**LET! GO! POTTER!**" Ron bellowed.

"No." Potter simply and calmly replied; causing Ron to see red then turn an ugly shade of maroon…

"**HARRY!**"

Everything happened too quickly to be properly recalled. No one really knew what happened, save for one child, whose eyes saw all truths. The only thing certain was one moment Harry Potter stopped Ron Weasley from attacking a fellow housemate and a first year then the next moment Ron was on the ground, clutching onto his non-wand hand as if it was broken and wailing like a howler monkey.

"What's going on?! **MR. POTTER!!**" An old voice shrieked; causing the concealed ears to lay flat against Harry's skull as he gave a passing glance to the Deputy Headmistress.

"**MR. POTTER! ANSWER ME!**" Professor McGonagall shouted.

"**HE BROKE MY ARM!!**" Ron cried, which caused an uproar as students began shouting in attempts to tell the truth of what happened. But their voices became one voice of nonsense.

"**SILENCE!**" Professor McGonagall ordered, "**YOU TWO HELP MR. WEASLEY TO THE INFIRMARY! AND YOU, MR. POTTER, GO TO THE HEADMASTER'S OFFICE! THE REST OF YOU…** follow me."

Slowly like an indigent herd, the group obeyed Professor McGonagall's orders. As the group moved, Harry stayed behind.

"Harry?" Hermione weakly called.

Harry smiled.

"Go. I'll be fine."

"O-Okay." And Hermione disappeared into the sea of students.

"Something I can do for you, Malfoy?" Harry asked. He did not need to see his former rival standing behind him. He sensed and scented the blonde.

"No, just curious on who you are, Potter, that is all." Then Malfoy left.

"I wonder at times myself."

**~*~**

"Where's _on'frat_?" Ginny asked immediately when she saw her older sister alone with only Sirius in her arms. And said cat-demon looked extremely pissed off. Ginny knew that Harry would never leave Hermione alone without informing her to be by the older girl's side.

Hermione looked anxiously about; still clutching onto the irritated feline.

"Hermione?" Ginny patiently called as she gently seated the nervous girl down. Suddenly Neville came next to the slightly trembling girl and freed the annoyed hell-cat, who reluctantly relaxed in the timid male's hands.

"Hermione, where's _on'frat_?" Ginny asked again.

"Ron.. Ron…"

"Not Ron, I meant Harry." Ginny gently interrupted.

"I know! Ron tried to curse Lavender and… And _on'frat_?" Hermione tried the foreign word and was awarded with a smile and a nod, "_On'frat_ stopped him. Ron was about to hit him, but I don't know what happened because Ron suddenly was on the ground, screaming that _On'frat_ broke his arm!"

"**WHAT?!**" Ginny gasped.

"Yes, Ron's right now in the infirmary, and Harry's in Dumbledor's office! Oh, I don't know what's going to happen. I'm worried!"

"Shh… don't worry, _an'sor. On'frat_ is strong. He'll be fine! But as for Ronald…" Ginny growled.

But soon any attempts to leave in search of their missing brother were disrupted by the Sorting Hat Ceremony. Ginny was annoyed, and she suspected that Sirius was equally annoyed, if she judged the irritated twitch of his tail correctly. She knew that the fire-wielding demon would like nothing better to do than go search for his Lord. She knew this because it was what she wanted to do as well.

"It's okay, Sirius. Harry's okay." Neville gently whispered as he gave the cream-colored feline his undivided attention. "This is his home. Hogwarts would never let anything happen to him. I promise. He's okay."

Watching them from the corner of her eye, Ginny noticed that the irritated shape-shifting bodyguard relaxed a bit but remained ever so alert. The red-haired Lady of the North made a note to ask Harry about it and if possible Sirius himself later.

"Blimey! Where' Ron an' Harry?" A voice laced with thick Irish accent questioned, "Tey gonna miss te Sorting! Etwis me or te ye ones get smaller an' smaller?"

Before anyone could answer the flirtatious Irish youth, the main gates opened to reveal the stern figure of Gryffindor Head of House, Professor McGonagall. The old matron walked down the aisle with her back straight as a board, and in her hands, the customary stool with a tattered hat on top. She walked directly up to the Headmaster and placed the stool before him then stepped aside and waited. Silence enveloped the Great Hall as all waited for the Sorting to begin. Slowly and slightly, the silence was replaced with quiet murmurs from both the faculty and students as they all asked and wondered about the sudden silence from the Hat.

"What's going on?" Someone from the House of Lions asked as all eyes turned to their residential walking-library. However, even Hermione was at a loss of what was happening.

"I-I-I don't know." She mumbled, "Nothing like this has ever happened. I'm sorry…"

"It's okay, Hermione." Neville re-assured the slightly shaking girl.

Ginny watched with curiosity as to how easily Neville fell into the role of a 'caregiver'; giving re-assurances when needed and a comforting hand to soothe frayed nerves. The young red-head knew that she would need to tell her _on'frat_ about it.

Suddenly the Great Hall fell silent once more; looking up, Ginny saw the Headmaster raising to his feet. Out of curiosity, Ginny glanced over to Professor Snape, who seemed to be balancing irritation, concern and curiosity in a single scowl. Even though his attention was focused on the Headmaster, Ginny noticed how the Potions Master kept leaning away form the person next to him. Looking at the person, who even the feared Bat of the Dungeon disliked -- **openly**, Ginny was reminded of an eel by the man's oily and slimy appearance. She frowned. _Perhaps it's good that Harry's not here._ She thought as she imagined Harry's temper. She was no fool. She knew that her blood-brother desired and cared for the dark wizard just as much as the dark wizard attempted to deny his desire and care for the half-demon. However, now seemed that another was attempting to woo the dark wizard… Key word 'attempting'. Judging by the involuntary twitch in the Potions Professor's right hand, Ginny could guess that Professor Snape wanted nothing more than to hex the oily eel of a git to oblivion.

"Sorting Hat?" Dumbledor's voice interrupted Ginny's musings. Focusing back on the Headmaster, Ginny watched the aged wizard speak to the tattered hat.

"Sorting Hat?" Dumbledor called again from the Head Table but still received no answer.

Murmurs and whispered began to fill the oddly quiet Great Hall.

Hermione, Neville and Ginny shared worried glances with one another, but it was Ginny, who caught the shocked expression on Luna's face as the blonde witch stared at the battered clothe. Her wide brown eyes sought concern jadeite green eyes. Ginny was startled by the look of utter disbelief in those timeless orbs.

"What's going on?" Ginny whispered softly to no one.

Then a chair scrapped against the stone floor as the Headmaster pushed his throne aside and walked around the Head Table. Everyone watched with curiosity and worry at the frown that marred the old sage's face. Cautiously Dumbledor reached for the ancient clothe but immediately pulled his hand back in shock. His face suddenly ashen when he looked at his second-in-command.

"Minerva," The headmaster's voice was steady belaying the fear he felt, "you retrieved the Sorting Hat from my office, did you not?"

"Of course!" Professor McGonagall did not hide her irritation that the Headmaster would question her, and in front of the whole school no less!

"Forgive me, but I had to make sure." Dumbledor replied softly; now very much scared for when he reached and touched the magical artifact, he felt _**nothing**_!

There was nothing! No gentle spark of infused magic! It was just now an ordinary tattered, old hat! How could this have happened? Why had this had happened? When had this had happened without him knowing nor noticing until now?

"Albus!" Minerva's hiss snapped the old wizard's thoughts back to the present, "What are we going to do about the Sorting?!"

The question suddenly brought so many possibilities. If there was no Sorting Hat, if there was no impartial device to sort the children accordingly then what or more precise _who_ could do it. Oh yes, this unforeseen circumstances did certainly worked in his favor. Dumbledor then smiled at his faithful Deputy Headmistress; apparently re-assuring the aged matron that there was a backup plan and everything would soon be put to right.

Dumbledor faced all assembled and smiled, which put all to ease, save a few.

"Students! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! And to those who are new! Welcome!" The Headmaster began.

Ginny narrowed her eyes as she felt something within her stirring; stirring in retaliation to whatever was happening. Casting a look at Luna, Ginny frowned at the usually relaxed girl's form. Now, the blonde witch sat rigid and with an… With an expression that Ginny had never expected on the carefree witch… The look of Rage!

Suddenly the phoenix-haired witch felt the air becoming warm and immediately knew who it was. Snapping her attention to Sirius, Ginny noted a dangerous calm expression in Sirius' ruby orbs. It was as if he was calculating on how fast he could kill whatever that had offended him and return to the comforting arms of Neville.

"Shh…" Neville whispered; apparently he felt the inaudible growls coming form the small feline. It soothed the fire-cat but not by much. Neville looked up and meet with Ginny's gaze. "What's going on?"

"I don't know, Neville, but whatever it is, it's not good." Ginny replied, "Best to keep an eye out for anything unusual."

"You mean like this entire affair?" Neville replied.

Ginny resisted the urge to smack herself. It was the most idiotic thing for her to say. Of course, keep an eye out for anything unusual! _Everything_ was unusual! Neville then reached over and patted her on the shoulder. They shared a small smile.

"Unfortunately, it would seem someone has played an ingenious joke on myself and Professor McGonagall… Perhaps some of our old favorites or perhaps those who have picked up their mantle." Dumbledor continued; Ginny and Neville shared a knowing look and knew deep within that to be false, "What have you! We _shall_ continue with the Sorting! _I_ shall continue the Sorting! Professor McGonagall, if you will, please."

**Translations:**

_**Kaguumb **_**(youma-lingua) - shadow**

_**Ma-Terrarum**_** (youma-lingua) - demon world**

_**On'frat **_**(youma-lingua)**_** - **_**older brother**

_**An'sor **_**(youma-lingua)**_** - **_**older sister**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter 13: **__**Absence of Light in a Darkly, Bright World**_

He left. It was plain and simple. He did not care if it broke tradition or if it was in bad forum. He had to leave, or he was going to kill someone… Or more like two someones. And it was not some idle threat either. He had caught himself several times handling his butter knife the same way he would with a proper blade. He had caught himself daydreaming of shoving the blunt utensil into that… That offensive thing calling himself a Demon Hunter's throat! Of course, his daydreaming alternated between murdering the overly perfumed French pig and attacking the Headmaster…

~How could he?!~ He hissed as he stormed the corridors; his infamous cloak billowing behind him. ~How _dare _he?!~

~Using Occlumency of First Years!?!~ His hiss resembled a low rumble of an enraged wyvern as he stalked the dark and forgotten corridors of Hogwarts.

~For what?! Just to bloody _sort_ them?! Ha! Don't make me laugh!~ He continued his rant. ~Only someone with no thought of their own would fail to see what he was fucking doing! Placing children of known Dark Supporters into Slytherin! And children of known Light in Gryffindor! Can't make it any more obvious as to what you believe in?!~ He hissed to no one in particular, save for the shadows. ~And where the hell was Harry?!~

He suddenly stopped as he felt his heart speed up. He had not shouted that, had he? Was he imagining his disappointment at not seeing the bane of his existence during the Welcoming Feast? Had he been dreaming, wishing those little moments at Phoenix Headquarters? Was he fooling himself that Harry, or anyone for that matter, would want him?

_True love is about loving the soul. Not the face, Severus._ A familiar and yet best forgotten voice whispered in the back of his mind.

Severus leaned against the wall while clutching at his chest. It had been a long time since he thought about _him._ A small, sad smile graced his lips as he thought of one of many special people in his life that had left him alone in this darkly, bright world of theirs. Hanging his head down, the fallen wizard should have known better by now not to hope. Hope may be strength, but it could also kill. It was a lesson he first learned from his father and continued to learn to this day. He should not hope. Hope meant living, and Severus knew that he was not living; he was merely surviving.

"God, I hate myself." Severus whispered as he slowly pushed away from the wall.

Suddenly soft boots spun around as Severus crouched low with daggers drawn; ready to defend himself in close-quarters.

The Potion Masters had felt the familiar sense of being watched. It made his hairs stand, and in his already self-destructive mood, the dark wizard was ready and begging for a fight… Anything that could make him forget, even for a moment. However, as he waited for the assault, he saw neither nor heard the presence of another. A slow frown formed as Severus stood straight but kept his weapons by his side. Slowly and silently Severus moved forward. His hunter's eyes remained alert as he scanned the darkness for signs of movement but found none; only shadows. Severus' frown became more pronounced. It was the Shadows that unnerved the trained assassin.

There was something alive within the absence of light: alive, dark and wild… _Like Harry._ Severus thought, which made him exceptionally more paranoid. Although he saw nothing, he was beginning to sense that there _was_ something there; leading him, guiding him to some place or someone. Moving forward with a feline's grace, Severus kept alert to any possible threat and switched out one of his daggers for his wand.

To a novice in this game of cat n' mouse, the silent walk would be akin to a man walking to his death; however, Severus was no novice and had been walking to his death with Death by his side ever since he was a child. He moved forward with no fear in his heart and in friendship with the oppressing silence. Pressing against the wall as he came to a corner, Severus crouched low; to make himself into a smaller target. He quickly crossed the threshold and pressed against the opposite wall then waited. No startled exclamation or hexes came his way, but the sense that he was on the right path became stronger. He pressed on.

Sense of time was suspended and expanded as Severus stalked further into the dark, forgotten corridors of the more obscure regions of the great castle. Although focused on his unknown mission, Severus observed that this portion of the castle had not seen a single living being in a _**very**_ long time. Slowing down his pace, Severus saw a closed set of doors at the end of the corridor that he was traveling in.

Hugging the wall as close as possible, Severus approached the double doors, which its ornate relief became more and more visible. In passing Severus noted the stylized carvings of four animals at each corner of a circle that formed a compass. The animals looked vaguely familiar but that did not matter as Severus now stood with his back parallel to the double doors. Now closer, Severus noted that the door was actually slightly ajar and an ethereal glow was coming from within.

Dropping really low, Severus cautiously toed the ajar door. With the door sufficiently open, Severus waited. Nothing happened. With his wand at the ready, Severus slowly moved into the mysterious chamber; keeping his eyes averted but seeing with his peripherals. Once his night vision had adjusted to the soft glow, Severus felt a breathe lodge in his throat.

"**POTTER!**" Severus shouted as he lunged forward and casting a _Sectumsempra_ spell.

In the middle of the chamber, Harry was suspended in mid-air by a series of soft glowing vines. The glow obscured Harry from view, but Severus would recognize the bane and salvation of his existence anywhere.

The younger male appeared to be unconscious. As the glowing vines held him suspended in mid-air, the vines were also caressing the youth's body in a loving and tender fashion. Severus' spell severed the vines, which caused Harry's body to drop but only to be caught again by the protective vines. Severus snarled as he cast another curse and threw a dagger for good measure. However, the vines showed signs of intelligence and perceived Severus' attacks before he had time to adjust.

Severus moved to his right for a clear view; however, the vines lunged at him; causing him to roll aside.

The dark wizard righted himself as he cast a flame spell at the lunging vineyard and began sprinting to his left. He continued sprinting and casting a variety of curses and spells as he attempted to draw nearer to Harry's body. While he battled the stalemate of a fight between himself and the glowing vines, Severus did not fail to notice that although he was inflicting damage, the vines seemed to have grown stronger and bigger as if feeding off the magic from his curses and hexes. Still sprinting and casting spells and curses, Severus finally saw an opening and lunged. He rolled to his feet and reached for Harry's unresponsive form.

Slender fingers wrapped around a wrist just as he felt all strength disappearing.

Wrapped around his waist was several vines, and some of which had managed to slip past his clothing and caress his flesh.

Summoning what little strength he had left, he held onto Harry a little longer; hoping to transfer his energy to the young man as Harry had done for him.

Severus knew what was happening to him. He had experienced it enough times to know when he was being magically drained of energy and strength. Out of stubborn pride Severus continued to struggle. The vines grab hold of his wrists and legs and began to pull him away; causing the Potion Master to struggle even more.

**NO! HARRY! WAKE UP! YOU IDIOTIC BRAT!**~ Severus shouted as he attempted to hold on; digging his fingers and nails into the younger's tanned wrist.

Suddenly the vines ceased its pull but not its hold.

Severus was aware he was somehow holding onto the sleeve of Harry's robe, but he could not feel it as he struggled against unconsciousness.

His breathing became shallow.

~Harry… Wake… Up… Wake…~ The words were softly spoken as Severus continued to fight against the darkness that was creeping into his vision.

Darkness was enveloping his vision too quickly for him to do much but to hold on. His strength was fading as he felt himself become disconnected with his body. It was an odd sensation; knowing that one was still connected to one's body and yet at the same time felt free of physical constraints. Never releasing his hold, Severus slipped further into the darkness of oblivion; completely unaware that the vines had gently placed both himself and Harry into each other arms and upon a soft bed of warm glowing leaves.

**~*~**

"I told Mr. Potter to come here, Albus." Professor McGonagall frowned after she and the Headmaster discovered the office empty.

Dumbledor was half listening to his Deputy while he was examining his office. The aged wizard had been feeling a bit uneasy throughout the evening. It first began with the Sorting Hat and ended with the atmosphere of the castle itself.

When the Sorting Hat remained silent, the Headmaster came down from his dais to hold the old, tattered thing. Once in his hands, Dumbledor was stunned to the core to feel **NO** magic within the artifact. There was nothing; making the artifact into another old hat, and it was not just the old hat that had lost it magical feel. It was the castle itself as well! Instead of a steady stream of futile resistance that was the castle's presence, it was now a wild and raw presence that he had no control over. Unfortunately for Dumbledor, he knew the change of the castle's presence meant that the castle had somehow broken free from his control and accepted another as its Speaker…

"I don't understand that boy anymore." Professor McGonagall replied to herself more than to the Headmaster.

"When did you send Harry here?" Dumbledor suddenly inquired. It did not escape his notice that whenever his 'Chosen One' was missing, the castle had the tendency to 'act-up', and he probably was grasping at straws, but with the prat in the equation… One never knew what could happen. One never knew…

"I sent him here after he broke Mr. Weasley's arm." The Head of the Lion House answered, "I honestly don't know what possessed him to do that."

Dumbledor frowned. Give or take a few minutes, which was when the Headmaster lost his connection with his base of operations. Did the boy stumble upon something to interrupt the Headmaster's control over the castle? And how can he reverse the damage? _Can_ he fix the damage without losing his proverbial Golden Goose? Dumbledor hoped so because he already vested too much time and energy on the raven-haired pawn to simply replace him with the other one. The Headmaster sighed. He was getting wary of the boy's newest streak of rebelliousness. The ancient sage believed it was time for him to put an end to the boy's developing sense of independence and remind the boy to whom he owed loyalty to… But first to find the damned brat.

"Minerva, call the other Professors. We'll need to find Mr. Potter."

"Albus?"

"I fear that I have been far too lenient on the boy." Dumbledor truly believed, "It is time for Mr. Potter to take responsibility for his actions. It is time for us to stop coddling him, and time for him to step up to his duties and obligations."

"Are you certain, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked, "Do you believe he's ready?"

"Yes, Minerva. Yes to all your questions." Dumbledor replied, "Now, call the Professors. There's much to be done… Much."

"Right away!" Professor McGonagall answered as she scurried away to do the Headmaster's bidding.

**~*~** "Ah! Thank you for coming so promptly." Dumbledor greeted his professors. All were there save for his Deputy and his reluctant Servant. This worried Dumbledor a little. The ancient man knew that Severus would be the first to arrive whenever he summoned his professors to a meeting. After all a slave always knew when their master needed them; especially given with some 'incentives' to inform the slave that it was needed. That was what made the young Potions Master an excellent slave. Severus knew when he was needed, but now, he was not there. Had Tom called him without Dumbledor knowing? No, not possible. There was nothing that the young dark wizard did that Dumbledor did not know about… For example, Dumbledor knew that the Death Eater's opinion and feelings toward the Potter-brat had changed, but unfortunately Dumbledor would have to put a stop to it… After all it would not do the Headmaster any good if his weapon and his slave were to join forces against him.

"Albus! Severus's missing!" Professor McGonagall hissed as she returned into the office; startling everyone. "I've searched his quarters and the Labs. He's nowhere to be found!"

"This is very interesting." Dumbledor mumbled. _This can't be a coincidence that both are missing._ He thought then turned to his professors, "Begin searching for Harry Potter and Severus Snape."

"And what are we to do when we find them?" The squeaky voice of the Charms' Professor asked.

"Restrain them if they seem out of character, but in general, bring them back here." Dumbledor ordered.

The other professors nodded then hurried out of the office.

"Professor Chauvelin, if you would please remain." Dumbledor called after the French Hunter.

"Iz der zomeding I'z can do for ju?" Chauvelin asked once all of the professors had left.

"Yes, I believe I may know an easier way to find our wayward flock, but I require your assistance." Dumbledor remarked.

"Of courz, Profezzor Dumbledor." Chauvelin bowed.

"Minerva, if you please."

"Albus?"

"I believe Mr. Potter may have an item of some use to us." Dumbledor replied as he lead his Deputy and the French Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor to the Gryffindor Tower.

**~*~**

The common room was loud as ever, especially since Ronald Weasley had returned from the infirmary sporting an arm-cast to keep his arm immobile while it healed. Many of the older students asked the red-head male what happened, which prompted him to spin a web of lies and exaggerations. However, his moment of glory was short-lived when another red-head called him a liar. The common room, for the first time since the beginning of last year, fell into a stifling silence as the two red-heads silently challenged one another.

Behind Ron stood Dean Thomas and a few of the other boys, who tried to 'emulated' the Gryffindor bravado; however, they were nothing more than a bunch of spoiled bullies. And before Ron, challenging his claim as a victim, was his own baby sister, Ginny Weasley, with Neville, Hermione and surprisingly Lavender.

"You're such a fucking liar!" Lavender hissed, "You almost cursed me and a little girl!"

"A little Death Eater-in-training!" Ron righteously shouted back.

"Say what?!" Lavender shouted; stepping forward a bit, "Who cares if in she's Slytherin or Gryffindor?! She's still a little girl!"

"And how the bloody hell would you know that she's a Slytherin anyway?! You were in the infirmary when the Sorting happened." Ginny growled.

"The little brat ain't here, is she?" Ron reasoned.

Silence fell over the common room for the second time in a single night.

"What?" Neville's timid voice whispered and yet his voice held perfect clarity, "What did you say?"

"You heard me, Longbottom." Ron sneered; making the timid wizard a bit nervous and agitating a certain fire-ice shape-shifter, "If the girl ain't here then she's with the Slytherins."

"And what if she's in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw?" Neville asked.

Ron's sneer turned uglier. It was apparent by his expression of what he thought about the other houses. If one was not a Gryffindor then one was nothing.

"You're no better than the Pureblood Elitist." Neville replied with heavy sadness.

"What did you say?!" Ron stepped forward menacingly.

Although scared, Neville did not move. He was unaware that Sirius the cat was about to attack nor was he aware that almost half the Tower stood to protect him. All he saw was a former friend consumed by blind bigotry and hatred about to hit him. Neville knew that he should shut up and slink into some hole in the ground, but he was tired of doing that. He was tired of hiding and 'staying safe' like his Gran always told him to do. He was sick and tired of being considered weak and a nothing. If it was not for Harry giving him a chance, Neville doubted that he would have discovered within himself the courage and strength to not only stand up for himself but also to protect those that were dear to him. And now he stood up to a former friend; he was standing his ground against everything that once held power over him.

"You heard me, Ronald Weasley." Neville's voice was soft and gentle and yet there laid an underlining tone of strength and command.

_Soft and gentle like the winds…_ Ginny thought, _and yet solid like the earth._

Ginny cast a quick look at both Neville and Sirius while she gave the barest of nods to no one in particular. Now, she understood her _on'frat_'s comment earlier on the train about Neville bringing Peace to Sirius' War. Fire and Ice were opposing elements; constantly fighting for dominance within the demon's body; constantly at war… and then came Neville. It was as if Neville's presence and being brought a completion to Sirius' own. It was as if all four elements were as one within these two bodies, and Ginny knew that no man nor wizard nor demon could withstand the power of all four elements when it was set against them. With that knowledge, Ginny relaxed and was prepared to see her stupid brother get his butt creamed by the elements.

"**WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!**" A voice stern yet screechy shouted.

Suddenly students, save for Ron and Dean in one group and Neville, Sirius, Hermione, Ginny and Lavender in the other, scattered when they saw Professors McGonagall, Chauvelin and Dumbledor standing in the common room.

"I asked you a question." Professor McGonagall stated; disliking being ignored by her students.

"Nothing, Professor." Ron answered then turned to the adults when he failed to stare the group into submission. "Is there something we can do for you?"

"Yes, there is, Mr. Weasley." Dumbledor cordially stated, "It would seem that young Harry Potter is missing as is Professor Snape."

The reaction was as the old Headmaster expected; however, not for the reasons he believed. For Ron, it was a chance to be a hero and show the raven-haired prat how a true Gryffindor should act. For the girls and Neville and Sirius, they were concern for their friend and Professor. They were not fools and knew that if _both_ were missing then it was no coincidence.

"Hey! Hey! Do you think Snape took Potter to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Dean suddenly blurted out.

"Yeah! Yeah! We all know that Snape's a Death Eater!!" Ron quickly chimed.

"**BULLOCKS!**" Three voices shouted.

"**SILENCE!**" Professor McGonagall squawked; her cheeks flushed with anger, "You will watch your language! As for you two, Professor Snape has the trust of the Headmaster! If you doubt that trust then you doubt the Headmaster!"

Ron and Dean were quickly silenced.

"Now, now, Minerva, they are just worried about young Harry's safety. I am certain, which is why we are here." Dumbledor stated calmly as he turned his attention to Ron, "If I am not mistaken, Harry has in his possession a map of the school grounds, which reveals everyone's location, does he not?"

Hermione gasped in shock.

Ginny was worried as was Sirius.

Neville and Lavender looked hopeful.

Ron looked manic as he answered, "Yes sir! The Marauder's Map!"

The red-head boy then ran into the boy's dorm with Dean following. The girls and Neville attempted to follow but were stopped by the Professors.

"Mr. Weasley is more than capable to get this map on his own." Professor McGonagall stated; not bothered by the sudden sounds of items crashing.

A few moments later, Ron and Dean reappeared; both looking quite full of themselves. In Ron's good hand was a blank folded piece of parchment, the Marauder's Map; the only few remnants Harry had of his father and godfather. And now it was going to be used and probably taken away from him once the Headmaster was done with it. Ginny wanted nothing more than to curse her brother to oblivion.

"Here it is, Professor!" Ron sounded like a child, who caught Santa sneaking in the presents on Christmas Eve.

"Ah! Thank you!" Dumbledor's expression was akin to a plotting Cheshire cat as he turned away from the portrait he was conversing with. Ginny made a mental note to warn Harry of the portrait or possibly portraits. "Now, Ronald, we must hurry if we're to find Harry."

"Yes! Yes!" Ron chirped as he straighten himself out. Dumbledor held onto the parchment while Ron pulled his wand out. The red-head cleared his throat dramatically.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!" Ron declared; oblivious to the hateful looks he was receiving.

The silence befell the common room a third time while Dumbledor looked expectantly at the parchment. However, nothing happened.

"What? That's the password! I know it!" Ron shouted then proceeded to cry out the password several more times.

Ginny relaxed in relief. Yes, she was worried about her blood-brother, but as Neville pointed out to Sirius, Hogwarts would never allow Harry come to harm. She was more worried about the map revealing Harry's true identity as a Demon Lord. She knew if that particular truth was ever known, Harry would be dead. It did not matter that Harry was the Boy-Who-Lived because in the Wizarding World, any one with demonic blood was considered far more eviler than any Dark Lord and were to be exterminated with extreme prejudice.

"Perhaps he'z changed dah pazzvord?" The Frenchman asked.

"He would have told me! I'm his best friend!" Ron wailed.

Ginny snorted then decided to draw attention away from the parchment, "Or perhaps that's not the real map, you know how Harry likes to protect his friends."

"Shut it!" Ron snapped.

Ginny just shrugged and waited. She would patiently wait for the adults to leave, and Ron and his new best friend to go to bed before starting her search for her true-brother. The young witch was hoping that if Harry did changed the password then Sirius might know it.

Eventually Dumbledor gave up. It was obvious, even after Hermione, who was forced to cast the password, and even after the DADA cast a revealing spell to no avail, that the parchment was not going to help nor was it apparently of any use to the Headmaster, because the old wizard just simply left the parchment with the Gryffindor Head Girl.

Once the adults left, Ron turned on the others, more specifically on his younger sibling, who was calm as ever.

"What's the bloody password!" Ron demanded.

"Dunno." Ginny truthfully answered.

"**LIAR!** Covering for your boyfriend!" Ron accused.

An elegant eyebrow arched.

"What's the password!" Ron bellowed again; taking a dangerous step forward.

Ginny's eyes seemed to glow with anger at the foolish housemate, who shared her family name. However, the hot-tempered wizard was oblivious to the danger of provoking a phoenix and continued his onslaught.

"Answer me now! Or else!"

"Or else? Or else what, Ronald Weasley?!" Ginny asked; barely suppressed anger laced her tone.

"**I AM YOUR BROTHER! YOU DO AS I SAY!**" Ron shrieked; turning a lovely shade of cherry red.

Ginny shot up from her seat. Her magic humming wildly about her as she locked hot jadeite green eyes upon his muddy brown orbs. Clutching her nails deep into her flesh while at the same time her healing powers raced to fix the damage. Shocked and surprised that Ginny would react as she did, all save for Sirius, failed to notice the Haijime tattoo glowing behind her red bangs on her forehead.

"You are no brother mine! You are nothing more than an ill-tempered prick, who wants everything without the effort or time required to achieve it! You. Have. No. Power. Over. Me!" Ginny cried.

Ron stepped back in fear.

Neville sat there stun at Ginny's outburst and knew that once Harry found out about Ron's transgression, there was going to be hell.

Lavender shot up and cheered wildly.

Hermione suddenly grabbed hold of the young red-head's wrist and proceeded to pull her away.

"Come, Gin." Hermione softly spoke, "He's not worth it."

**Translations:**

_**On'frat**_** (youma-lingua) - older brother**


	15. Chapter 15

_**Chapter 14: **__**To truly have come Home**_

Ginny allowed her older sister to pull her away for there was nothing else she could do, other than brutally beat the boorish prat to an inch of his life. Neville quickly scrambled after the girls; however, not before grabbing the blank parchment. Lavender surprisingly also followed them out.

The small troupe hurried up a set of stairs and climbed into a large, spacious room before Ron had a chance to recover from the magical denouncement. Hermione seated Ginny down on the bed while Lavender and Neville looked around for a place to sit. The room was large with a bed centered near the only window in the room, and an iron oven in the middle for heating come winter. Opposite of the bed was a large bureau attached to a vanity mirror. A school trunk was already placed by the bed, and a monstrous-sized orange housecat, who was glaring at the other feline in the room, perched like a royal king on top of said trunk.

"Nice room." Lavender niffly stated, "Whose is it?"

"Mine." Hermione absently replied, "Are you alright, Ginny?"

"Yeah… will be… It's just…" Ginny mournfully paused, "That wasn't my brother. Not the brother I grew up with. Who was he?"

Hermione was at a lost. She did not know what to do or how to comfort the distraught girl. At that moment, she felt guilty and ashamed for being more concerned about her own problems than that of her little red-haired sister's.

"I'm so sorry." Hermione whispered as she desperately hugged Ginny.

Startled by the sound of regret and shame, Ginny asked, "For what? You've done nothing wrong."

"I've been so absorbed in my own problems that I didn't see this!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Oh! Mina! It's not your fault! Don't _ever _think that! Ever! Ever!" Ginny replied as she hugged the girl back. Ginny may not know what terrible and dark secret that plagued the once strong-willed witch, but the young red-head suspected that it was far more important that an ill-tempered ass.

Suddenly a cough echoed throughout the room. The Lady of the North looked up to notice Lavender for the first time. The older Gryffindor witch had cleared her throat to draw the two girls' attention back to the situation at hand. All the while, Neville bore a thoughtful expression as he observed the two girls' interaction. Ginny did not release her hold on her sister as she repositioned herself comfortably to look at all of the occupants in the room; friendly to some and indifferent to others.

"As heart-filled as all this is, we really need to find Harry." Lavender said; her tone held a whimsical note when she spoke Harry's name.

"You're right." Ginny replied, but became suspicious in the other girl's motives. This was a pack matter; not a matter for an outsider.

"So..?" Lavender was hesitant, "You really don't know the password?"

Ginny shook her head no as did Hermione. Ginny subtly shot a look at Sirius, who too shook his head, knowing what her unasked question was. Now Ginny was really worried. She had hoped that at least she and Sirius could find their missing Lord and his mate once the others had gone to bed. However, if neither knew the password then they could not use the map, and the campus grounds was too large for just the two of them to search.

"Hunh…" Neville mumbled; unintentionally drawing everyone's attention to him. However, his attention was focused on the blank map in his lap.

"Hunh? Hunh what?" Lavender asked; apparently startling the brunette teen.

His eyes widen at everyone as he realized that they were all staring at him.

"It… feels like… Harry." Neville stated.

Lavender looked dumbfounded by Neville's odd comment, but the other girls shared a knowing look.

Hermione knew of the blood-bond between Harry and Ginny. She politely declined the same bond when Harry offered early in their stay at Grimmauld Place. She wanted to accept, but her mind was in chaos at the thought of performing what the Ministry called Dark Magic. Any magic that required blood was an automatic Dark Art and susceptible to one year sentence in Azkaban.

Hermione cleared her stray thoughts of her wants and her fears, and gave Ginny a gentle nudge toward Neville. Ginny immediately understood the older girl's intent. If the map felt like Harry as Neville said, then Harry had somehow locked the map to his magical signature. Although magical signature differed from person to person, theorists believed that within a familial group, there existed a base line for magical signatures. And since Ginny and Harry shared a blood-bond, perhaps they also share a magical signature.

Standing in front of Neville, Ginny pulled out her wand and stared at the blank map. Taking a deep breathe, Ginny softly spoke the password. A gentle glow came from the tip of her wand, and swiftly the glow washed over the map; revealing a detailed ink-etching of the castle and below the castle-drawing was a beautiful series of loops, lines and other stylized lines that captivated Ginny's attention.

"It worked." Neville replied in awe; apparently he had thought the same as the two girls since he too knew about the blood-bond.

"It did?! Why?!" Lavender was stunned as she and Hermione crowded around Ginny and Neville, but no one answered her.

Sirius leapt onto Neville's shoulder; wrapping his tail around the youth's neck. Looking down at the map, crimson pools grew wide as Sirius recognized the stylized script of the tongue of _Ma-Terrarum_.

||:Castle Haijime of Britannia:||

"Okay! So where's Harry?" Lavender cheered then as an after thought, "And the Professor?"

Ginny and Hermione immediately opened flaps and folds in attempts to located their missing friend and Professor, but they quickly discovered a small but significant problem.

The map revealed detailed accounts of the campus grounds and appropriate moving dots; however, the problem laid in the fact that they could not read the stylized writing. It was like nothing any of them had ever come across before. Lavender began muttering that because of beauty of the writing that it had to be an elfish map, and not this 'Marauder's Map' that the Headmaster claimed it to be. Neville and Hermione, however, were at a lost in regards to what to think. They both knew that this was the Marauder's Map, but why was it written in this strange and yet captivating writing. But Ginny… She knew. She was spellbound by the beauty of the writing and knew! She knew what it was! It was the written language of the demons!

It was demon script!

She looked up to Sirius, who was staring at the map intently. Sirius was reading the map! He was looking for Harry and Professor Snape!

Hermione had stopped opening various flaps and folds as soon as she realized that she could not read any of the dots, but Ginny stubbornly continued. Slowly she opened each flap and fold all the while watching for Sirius' reaction. It amazed the red-haired girl at how well she and Sirius can communicated with one another even though they were not speaking to one another. Soon Ginny opened all flaps and folds, but Sirius gave no reaction, no indication that he had found what they had lost. Ginny sighed; looking down at the map, her fingers began to trace what she believed to be the word for the Great Hall.

Thin brows suddenly furrowed together in concentration. Ginny's fingertips felt something odd about that portion of the map. With a free hand, Ginny felt one of many flaps and compared the touch with that of the questionable portion. _It's thicker!_ Ginny's eyes widen in renewed hope as her fingers caressed gently the page for an edge.

"What's wrong?" Neville softly asked as he saw Ginny's look of concentration and hope.

"I think there's more, but the pages maybe stuck." Ginny replied, "Ouch!"

Ginny pulled her hand back and examined her fingertips. Tiny bead-lets of dark liquid crimson pooled to the surface from several thin lines.

"Paper-cut?" Lavender sympathetically asked.

Ginny quickly placed her injured fingertips into her mouth to hide her healing abilities while nodding her head in confirmation.

"You're right! There is more!" Neville exclaimed as he carefully examined the newly blood-stained edges. "It's look to be about one… two… three more layers beneath this one!"

"Here!" Hermione handed Neville a bobby-pin from her hair to help the young wizard to pray the extra layers free.

The girls looked anxiously as slowly one by one Neville freed each layer. Each layer revealed a series of chambers and tunnels that probably had never been seen or visited since the time of the Founders. If the situation at hand was not so dire, the small would-be-group of rescuers would have been in awe at the prospects of finding the Lost Chambers of the Founders. However, at the moment, finding Harry and Professor Snape took top priority.

"Are we sure they're done there? And not somewhere else that we missed?" Lavender asked while Neville was working on the last layer.

"They're done there." Ginny stated with absolute conviction, which left no room for doubt.

"Finally!" Neville cheered as he opened the last remaining layer.

"**MEW!**"

"**THERE!**"

In the center of the massive chamber were two stationary dots, side by side. Although she could not read the demon's tongue, Ginny knew within her heart that the two dots represented her missing brother and Professor. Sirius titled his head to the side as he committed to memory the passageway to the chamber, and the inscription on the map.

||:Chamber Hogwarts; Lord of the Northern Lands, Lord and Master Gryffindor, Lord and Master Hufflepuff, Master of Castle Haijime of Britannia, Eighteenth Son of Clan of Bruce, Twenty-First Son of Tudor House, the-Boy-Who-Lived, Harold James Potter-Haijime; Lord and Master Slytherin, Potions Master Professor of Hogwarts, Third Leader of the Legion of Longinus, Heir to Hyuga-Ryu, Ex-Death Eater, Spy of the Order of the Phoenix, Severus Tobias Snape. : ||

**~*~**

"Are we going in the right direction?" Lavender asked for the umpteenth time as they followed Sirius down a series of passageways.

"Oh bloody hell! Yes!" Ginny hissed harshly, "We're following the bloody map! And for Pigwidgeon's sake, we're following Sirius!"

Lavender turned her nose upward.

"Well, that's what I mean." Lavender sniffed, "I understand following a dog but a cat? Everyone knows that dogs are better than cats at following scents and orders!"

Ginny was about to retort when Hermione intervened.

"Please, Lavender, trust us when we say we have faith in Sirius. Sirius can track down Harry better than any dog can." Hermione paused to throw the feline an apologetic look. "Sirius is much more than he appears to be. Trust me."

Sirius blandly stared at the three girls. The Child of War understood his Lady's irritation at the other female's presence. Although the other female was helpful earlier, she was more of a hindrance, especially with all her excessive questions. It was apparent to the demon bodyguard that this female had never dealt with the 'abnormality that is my normalcy' as his Lord would refer to his life. However, what the other two girls did not know was that he was _not _following his Lord's scent but that of the Dark One. It perturbed that former Assassin that his Lord's scent had simply disappeared from the Entrance Way and yet it was the Dark One's scent that was leading them to where they were held.

It was not a far-off conclusion for the demonic teen to follow the Dark One's scent to his missing Lord and Friend. If Harry had disappeared without a trace then the one with the deepest connection to the Shadow Lord would be drawn to him. It was an anomaly among Shadow demons that could not be explained. At that moment, Sirius did not care but was truly grateful for that anomaly. The young hybrid made a mental note that when he found his Lord, he would show his great displeasure at his Lord's disappearing act… perhaps a bit of ice-encased boots to make his point, but Sirius also made the point to ensure that nothing would ever happen to either his Lord or his Lord's mate again.

Sirius continued to ignore the girls as he brushed past the calm wizard youth; using the subtly contact to ground his wandering thoughts to the mission at hand. The Dark One's scent was still strong but was slowly dissipating, and it soon would disappear to the point that not even Harry would be able to find it. Suddenly Fire and Ice paused as he picked up another scent. A familiar scent from the train. It held a subtle undertone of holistic aura, which Sirius knew belonged to only one person in his Lord's pack.

"Sirius?" Neville called as he noted the feline's sudden stillness.

Following Sirius' gaze down the darken corridor, Neville saw another figure slowly making its way toward them.

"What is it?' Ginny asked as she saw the two elementals just standing there; staring off into the corridor.

"**HIDE!**" Lavender hissed as she vaguely made out the shadowed figure of someone walking toward them. As she desperately sought a place to hide, she quickly panicked to discover that there was _**no **_place to hide.

"Milady?" A soft, aloof voice whispered in confused question.

"Luna?" Ginny answered back then sighed in relief.

Luna then stepped into the light; looking ethereal in her long white nightgown. She politely bowed her head at Ginny then looked curiously at Sirius, who returned the look with one of his own. Yes, they had met on the train, and yes, her Eye allowed her to see his true form. However, this was her first time to truly see him as the regal warrior that he was. Despite being in the form of tiny feline, Luna knew that the mysterious Sirius was an imposing figure if ever provoked.

"Oh for goodness sake! Luna! You scared us!" Lavender hissed.

Luna slowly turned her attention toward the other girl and gave her an odd calculating look.

"My apologies."

"Yes, well, shouldn't you be in bed?'

"As should you be?" Luna countered but then quickly ignored her in favor to look at her Lady, "Do you not feel it?"

The others looked at her for a moment while Lavender dismissed the odd blonde as being in one of her infamous fits. Luna then looked pointedly at Sirius. Sirius arched a non-existing brow as he thought about the odd female's words. Ginny frowned as she noticed that the young Ravenclaw girl was trying to convey some message to the demon hybrid. However, it was clear that neither she nor Sirius quite understood what the blonde girl was referring to.

"What do you mean 'feel it'?" Ginny asked.

Luna looked up; startled that they could not feel it… that they had not noticed it.

"The castle… It feels different." Luna softly said; perhaps beginning to doubt what she herself was sensing.

"Hunh? What are you babbling about?" Lavender demanded while Hermione and Neville looked at each other in confusion. Ginny narrowed her eyes.

"Now that you mention it…" Neville trailed off.

"You mean that castle never felt like this before?" Both Hermione and Ginny asked. This made Luna look at the two girls in confusion.

"Hunh? What? What are you talking about?!"

"The castle…" Neville began, "It feels… Wild, raw and dark…"

"Bullocks!" Lavender hissed. How could the castle be Dark? The castle was the icon of everything that was Light. After all Harry Potter, the Savior of the Wizarding World and Scion of the Light, would never associate himself with anything related to the Dark.

"The castle feels like Harry." Hermione whispered as she looked at Ginny for answers. The young red-head just looked into the shadows, where she knew her brother's creatures lay; awaiting for him to command them to do his bidding.

"_On'frat_, have you truly come home?"

No answer came.

**Translations:**

_**Ma-Terrarum **_**(youma-lingua) - Demon World**

_**On'frat**_** (youma-lingua) - older brother**


	16. Chapter 16

_**Chapter 15: **__**Chamber Hogwarts**_

They continued their trek in silence with few stops to confirm that the two dots were still in the mysterious chamber, and that the intrepid group had not been followed. Although they could not read the scripture to identify the dots, Ginny hoped that Sirius would give some sort of warning if they were being followed by less than honorable individuals.

After what seemed to be an eternity of walking and of silence, the group came to what appeared to be the last corridor from above ground, which led to the mysterious one below ground. Sirius continued his lead with Neville behind him and his wand alit for lighting. And after what seemed to be another eternity of walking, they slowly approached a pair of closed double doors with beautiful carvings etched into it.

The ornate relief became more and more visible as the group drew nearer. They could see the base compass design with each directional point represented by a stylized animal. To the North, the Raven with its wings fanned out to the East and West. To the East, the Lion watched over its pride while its tail curved around the South. To the South, the Badger studiously worked at its den which reached toward the East and West. And finally to the West, the Serpent curled infinitely into itself; obscuring its head and tail, showing neither the beginning nor end. Only smaller serpents seemed to be reaching out toward the North and South as if in attempts to ground the Main Serpent from eating itself whole. The majority of the relief was surrounded by finely detailed carvings and glyphs of circles, triangles, and other hexagonal shapes with wide range of symbols from Roman-Greco origins to ancient Hebraic script.

"I wonder what it means." Lavender whispered in awe.

"Another time." Ginny replied with clipped tones, "Right now, Harry and Professor Snape are in there."

Finally remembering their purpose, the group pulled the massive doors wide open. Stepping through, they were stunned by what they saw. The entire chamber resembled the hollow of a large tree with branches and roots climbing the walls and ceiling and intertwining with one another. And in the center of all the knotted branches and roots, two figures laid; unaware of everything around them.

"**HARRY!**"

"**PROFESSOR SNAPE!**"

The group of would-be-rescuers rushed forward; being mindful of the branches and roots as they moved.

Sirius leapt gracefully over all that would impede him from reaching his Lord. As he was the first to reach the sleeping duo, Sirius immediately scanned them for injuries but scented none. The only ailment that the Hybrid found was exhaustion. Pure and simple exhaustion, but what worried Sirius was what could have caused his Friend and Lord to be exhausted. It took a lot of effort to tire a half-demon, and whatever tired the half-demon Lord could kill a human; regardless of how powerful said human was. Yet there laid his Master's mate equally exhausted as Sirius' Master. Sirius mewed; hoping to arouse his Lord to wakefulness.

_Shih'nus!_ Sirius mewed again as he nuzzled against Harry's hand.

_Shih'nus! Awaken!_

"Nngh…" A small groan escaped from Harry's lips as glazed eyes barely opened.

"**HARRY!**" Voices cried; making Harry moan at the loud noise.

Slowly awareness returned to Harry even though he still was laden with lethargy. He was vaguely aware that Sirius was nearby but… _Wasn't he with Mina?_ Harry soon became vaguely aware of his _shisorn_, and Neville and Luna too were beside him; trying to arouse him further from his lethargic state but wait… _Weren't they at the Welcoming Feast?_ Then his nose twitched at the delectable scent of orange flowers… _Mmmm…. Severus…._ Harry purred softly.

"Milord, I cannot awaken Professor Snape." A low, aloof voice whispered softly for his ears alone.

A sudden burst of wakefulness and alertness swept over Harry as he saw his Mate lying beside him in a comatose state. Panic urged him to move as he pushed past his pack-mates and reach out to his beloved Dark Wizard. Focusing his senses on the unconscious man, Harry relaxed as he sensed no outwardly sign of duress. His heavy body nearly pitched forward were it not for his Willow and Earth supporting him. His ears focused on the slow and steady tattoo of his Dark's heart…

"**HARRY!**" Neville hissed as he attempted to shake the other teen to wake up.

"Wha..? Jus' nee… too…. Res'… a li'l…" Was the mumbled response.

"**NO!**" More voices shouted.

Ears laid back at the loud noise while a soft rumble of displeasure vibrated through the sleepy teen's chest. He was tired! Dammit! He just wanted to sleep! It was safe! And he was bloody as hell tired!

"You can't fall asleep again!" Another voice cried. It was not a familiar voice. It was not a voice from the pack. He growled. It was not safe. An outsider was near!

"C'mon, Harry." Earth's voice was soothing as the summer breeze, "C'mon, we need you to wake up."

The familiar voice wrapped itself around him. It was safe. This voice was a Caregiver. Caregiver was good. Good was safe. It was safe. Let him sleep. Sleep good. He was heavy but many paws held him up. Paws of the Pack. The Pack was good. Good was safe. It was safe. Let him sleep. Sleep good.

"Why is he like this?" The outsider asked.

A deep rumble echoed. A squeak echoed afterwards, and the sour odor of fear wafted to his nose… Weak, not threat… Just unwelcome… Another growl rumbled to remind the outsider that it was not welcomed, and that he was Alpha. Swiftly a soothing paw nuzzled through his mane near his sweet spot; making him purr in content.

"Shh, _on'frat_, it's only Lavender." She, who's blood sang as wild as his own, cooed.

"Why is he doing that?" The outsider whispered even more softly; afraid to bring attention to itself.

"It's instincts."

"Instincts?!"

"Yeah… Gees, what happened down here? You're almost depleted of magic…" There was a shift in movement. "Professor Snape's a bit low too but not as bad as Harry."

"Meaning we'll have a better chance of waking him up than Harry." Earth stated.

Earth sighed.

"Professor!" Willow sang, "Professor, wake up, please. We need you!"

"Nngh…" The tattoo raced.

"Professor Snape?" The Bearer whispered.

"Nngh… Granger..?"

Music! It was music he heard! He tried to move but his body refused! It was heavy! But he wanted to see! He wanted to see his beautiful Mate! He wanted to touch what was his! A high pitched whine echoed in the air.

"_aerE_!" The beautiful music whispered.

The air rustled with noise.

Rough pads ghostly touched his warm flesh.

Sparks sang across his flesh, through his veins and into his core.

He was feeling better, a bit stronger but still tired.

Rough pads cupped his face; causing his eyes to open. Not even realizing they were closed. Lazy emerald green orbs opened to stare into a pair of endless abyss. All too soon rough pads were ripped away and a tiny whine escaped his lips.

"Ms. Weasley," The beautiful music sounded throaty, "remove your hand at once."

"No sir, you can't give him too much." She, who's blood sings wildly as his own, commanded as her right as Lead Female, "You're already too weak! If you give any more now, you'll pass out or worse."

Severus sighed as his pulled away. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. Severus could feel that he had barely the strength to even cast a simple _Lumos_ spell let alone share his magical core with the pain in his arse. Looking about him, Severus finally could see the chamber that he was in without the thoughts of combat and surviving being his main focus. However, what he saw was not what he expected.

"Yggdrasil!" Severus whimpered in mixed awe and shock.

The elder wizard would recognize the intertwining and tangled branches and roots of a Life Tree anywhere. Slowly Severus stood to his feet only to nearly collapse once more. Looking down, the stubborn man was surprised to see Longbottom holding him steady. Not accustom to receiving such camaraderie concern, not since he was a teenager, Severus stiffly nodded his appreciation then cautiously moved away. Longbottom did not protest although he looked pleased to have helped.

Long, slender fingers reached out and touched a nearby branch. The Dark Wizard let a sharp gasp escape as he quickly pulled his hand away. Severus felt the centuries of cumulated raw magic coursing through the branch and subsequently through his own hand. However, although the Professor felt centuries upon centuries' worth of raw magic coursing through like a life-blood, he could sense the majority of that raw magic belonging to Harry. He even sensed a small sliver of raw magic belonging to himself.

Looking once more around himself, Severus noted that his students; save for Harry, who was in between wakefulness and slumber, were looking at him expectantly. Expecting him to take charge and to lead them out of the chamber. He suddenly felt tired and wary of everything. Although tired, wary and weak, Severus knew that there was not much else he could do but lead his students out then passing out himself in his bed.

"Ms. Granger, Ms. Brown, cast a levitation spell on Ha-Potter. Longbottom, I assume that's the damned Marauder's Map? -- Good, you'll lead us out of here." Severus ordered then suddenly felt even more tired then previously. It seemed that even talking took much more of his strength than he realized.

Severus watched passively as Granger and Brown stood side by side with their wands at the ready. The girls cast their spell, and Harry began to float above the roots and branches. Suddenly the room became a glow as the roots and branches began to illuminate. Severus' eyes widen as he remembered what he had previously thought was vines were actually branches and roots began to reach out toward them. The chamber echoed with screaming and shouting, but Severus ignored them all as he lunged forward; catching Harry's body before it hit the ground.

"**DON'T MOVE!**" Severus managed to shout out as he tried to regain his breathing while cradling what felt like two hundred pounds of dead weight against him.

Taking a deep breathe, Severus began collecting his thoughts and immediately killing the idea of how nice it felt to have Harry sleeping on top of him.

"No magic." He mumbled.

"Professor Snape!? Are you alright?!" Brown had the audacity to ask such an idiotic question.

"Oh of course, Ms. Brown, I'm perfectly fine. I've only been nearly depleted of my magic, and now I have what feels like two hundred pounds of pure dead weight crushing me and using me as a bloody pillow. Oh yes, I am perfectly alright!" Severus sneered; causing Brown to shrink back in fear.

Suddenly his chest felt much lighter, both physically and metaphorically. Longbottom and Weasley moved closer and helped lift the unconscious youth, whose apparent life's mission was to drive the dark wizard to the brink of insanity. Slowly sitting up and taking in the sweet friend known as oxygen into his lungs, Severus noted once again Harry was out cold. The branches and roots were drawn to magic but not just any magic; magic that would encase the unconscious teen.

"We'll have to do this the hard way." Severus stated as he slowly stood to his feet.

"The hard way?" Brown asked then noticed that Weasley and Longbottom nodded in understanding, "You mean the Muggle way?!"

Severus resisted rolling his eyes as he led the group slowly across the chamber. Lovegood and Granger helped Weasley and Longbottom carry Harry over the branches and roots while Brown looked aghast that the Professor was not helping. In all honesty, Severus himself was ashamed in making the teens carry Harry, but he also must accept reality, and the reality was that he barely had the strength to hold himself up, let alone an unconscious teenager. Severus even doubted that he had the strength to make it to his own chambers after this.

Time lost its meaning as they slowly ventured out of the chamber. Brown closed the double doors while Lovegood and Longbottom cast a second levitation spell on Harry. Granger and Weasley stood next to Severus, observing the damn map. Severus knew about the stupid thing.

Black and Potter Senior had gloated in their youth about its creation despite the fact that it took them nearly four years to create it. However, while they bragged about their little creation, Severus had already memorized the majority of the campus grounds thanks to his photographic memory. However, it would seem that neither group, the Marauder's and himself, realized the extra hidden chambers, which lay beneath the Great Hall. Leaning against the wall, Severus could feel a little more of his strength returning. Casting a concealed concerned look at Harry's hovering body, Severus felt himself frowning as he noted Brown standing too closely by Harry's body with an expression that made his chest tighten uncomfortably.

Her expression was odd by Severus' description. Her eyes were large and soft as they peered at the sleeping teen. To Severus, they seemed to hold a whimsical romantic gleam. It was as if she was dreaming some romantic fantasy that involved herself and the raven-haired teen as her prince. Severus did not want to analysis too closely as to why his chest was tight and a hot pit of coiled anger rested in his stomach. Shaking away his thoughts, who was he if Harry decided to see another? Another who was his own age, appealing to the eye and worshipped him…

_Severus, I don't need you to worship me! Just love me, you silly… just love me!_ The laughing voice echoed from his buried past.

"What are you dallying for? Lead us out of here." Severus' voice, although sounded harsh, lacked its usual bite. His own voice effectively buried the best forgotten voice deep into his memories.

"Sorry, Sir." Neville said in response for the girls, who were looking too intently at the map. The timid youth looked back at his friend and found himself frowning.

The timid wizard noticed his housemate hovering by Harry's body. He recognized the glint of romantic daydream in her eyes. He had seen it enough times when he observed other girls looking at Malfoy or even at Harry. Shamefully, he too had looked at the blonde and his sleeping housemate with same daydream glint. It was a romantic fantasy that was playing out in her mind. Neville frowned as he kept an eye on the witch as he wondered why he was concerned about it. It was not like he was jealous about the girl showing deep affection for the other wizard. Neville had accepted his crush as just that, a crush. However, he could not help sense that the scene was wrong on some sort level.

"What's the matter? Can't read the bloody map?" Professor Snape snapped; drawing Neville's attention back to the girls.

"Why… Yes." Luna replied as her eyes marveled at the beautiful loops, lines and curves of the mysterious language.

"What?" Severus gasped as he pushed himself toward them.

"Unfortunately, we can't read it," Ginny began to explain, "and there looks to be a lot of activity by the entrance we used. I don't know about you, Sir, but _I _personally don't want to deal with the Headmaster or any other professors."

Severus arched an eyebrow then peered down at the map. Thin eyebrows suddenly disappeared as he noted the writing on the map. He had seen something similar to what he was seeing right now. The writing on the map looked to be something of a mix of free-stylized Japanese kanji and Arabic writings and yet at the same time it looked something completed different from it. Even with his curiosity about the writing's origin, Severus was even more curious about Ms. Weasley's statement about avoiding the Headmaster and other professors. Suddenly Severus absently realized that the other Weasley was not with the intrepid group of rescuers, but Severus pushed that observation aside for now.

"Have you tired a translation charm?" Severus asked then mentally belittled himself for his own idiocy.

"There's a translation charm?!"

"Oh! How lovely!"

"Of course, you wouldn't know it. It's not taught here." Severus mumbled to himself.

"Really?! And why not?" Ginny asked, "You'd think it'll be useful, especially since a lot of the books are written in Old English and Old French."

"Now, is not the time to discuss the idiocy of the educational curriculum." Severus replied with a shrug. "Ms. Granger, the incantation for the translation charm is _Abi exsecratio de Babel_ with a gentle flick of the wrist to the right. Like this."

Severus then proceeded to gently roll his wrist to the right as a demonstration.

Hermione watched her Professor's wrist carefully. She knew that next to proper pronunciation of any incantation, the proper wrist movement was key to a successful spell-cast. The young witch knew that she would not have any issue with any pronunciation after hearing the incantation only once. She had been taking Latin lessons on her Granny's, God bless her Soul, request even after the dear old Lady's death. Taking a deep breathe, Hermione spoke the enchantment with expert fluency and a gentle roll of her wrist over the enchanted parchment.

Ginny watched nervously as her older sister cast the charm over the demon-scripted map. A gentle golden hue washed over the map, and Ginny watched in morbid fascination as the beautiful script became the calligraphic script of the English language. The lower chambers revealed their true names for the first time in what possibly could be since the castle's construction.

The chamber from which they have escaped from was called Chamber Hogwarts, and in the corridor that led to the next level revealed the appropriate number of dots that represented their group and their names. Suddenly the quiet corridor fell deeper into an eerie silence as those huddled around the map read one name in particular.

_Harold James Potter-Haijime_.

Ginny readied herself for the onslaught of questions she knew would be coming, if not from all of them then at least from Professor Snape. Ginny knew the man well enough to know that he noticed even her own name change. _Virginia Rose Weasley Potter-Haijime_. And without fail, even though the man had no strength to cast spells, Severus was not without means. For jadeite green orbs widen in shock at the feel of hard cold, steel against her warm flesh and saw the cold mask of indifference slipping over the Potion Professor's expression. Ginny tried to steady her rapid heartbeat as a small portion of her mind understood how this man survived so many years as a spy. This man was prepared to do whatever was necessary to survive. Casting a quick glance at Sirius, who was prepared to pounce and probably transform to his original form if it became necessary. Ginny was praying to Morgana's Blood that it would _not _be necessary.

"Professor!" Hermione whispered; trying to avoid drawing Lavender's attention.

A hysterical teenage witch was the last thing they needed.

"Care to explain, Ms. Weasley?" Severus' voice was devoid of all emotions, "Or should I say Ms. Weasley Potter-Haijime?"

"Ms. Weasley will do, for now." Ginny replied with a calm, which she did not possess.

"Very well, Ms. Weasley, care to explain the sudden change in name." It was not a request.

Ginny knew she could not lie for the man would know nor could she tell the truth… Or perhaps she could. She had seen Harry inform the Headmaster of half truths in regards to pending attacks from Voldemort and his minions of happy Corpse Bitter over the summer. Looking into the pair of obsidian black orbs, Ginny wondered if she could pull it off as well.

"Ms. Weasley, bare in mind that I am not known for my patience." Severus warned.

Ginny licked her lips. _Here goes nothing._

"Haijime was the doctor that saved Harry's life when he was a baby." Ginny explained; remembering what Harry had told her after their blood-bonding.

"Explain."

Ginny's brows furrowed together as she tried to remember exactly why the doctor had to save Harry's life.

"I don't remember much." She truthfully said, "Harry explained to me, but I don't remember exactly why. He said something about when he was three months old, he got really sick. Really, really sick that he needed… He needed… Damn, what was it called… Something to do with blood."

"You mean a blood transfusion?" Severus asked.

"Is that what's called?" Ginny asked; making a mental note to question on how her Professor knew a Muggle expression.

"On a three month old…" Severus whispered. Although his tone was disbelieving, Severus would not be surprised that such a thing occurred. After all he had heard stories of babies as young as three-months old dying from heart attacks. It was just amazing to believe that a three month old, who required a blood transfusion to survive, would in fifteen months defeat the Wizarding World's most notorious Dark Wizard of the Twentieth Century.

"That was what Harry told me." Ginny replied.

"And yourself?" Severus pressed. He could sense that there was more to the story; however, at the moment, he knew it was the truth. He would have to dig deeper at a later time and date.

At that question, Ginny looked a bit sheepish and concerned. She knew that she would have to be truthful about the Blood-Bond and hoped that the Professor would not turn them in. Any form of magic that used blood was strictly forbidden, including the Blood Ward that supposedly kept Harry safe from Voldemort was considered forbidden.

Her nervousness made Severus arch an eyebrow as he slowly relaxed his arm a bit. Ginny looked down at his large hand and could not hold back the look of surprise to see a throwing dagger. It was unheard of for a pureblood to be armed with anything other than his wand. Purebloods believed that magic could solve all their problems, and yet here was this pureblood wizard armed with a dagger. It made Ginny wonder what else he was armed with.

"Ms. Weasley, my question." Severus stated as he put his dagger away; realizing it was distracting her. Severus knew that if he needed it, he could draw and throw it faster than it took for a person to blink.

"Hunh? Oh! Uhm… You see, Harry and I… well, we are Blood-Bonded." Ginny actually stammered.

A silence fell over the group. It was not the comfortable nor an oppressing type of silence. It was an awkward silence that made students fidget with nervousness.

"A Blood-Bond?" Severus' voice was soft; uncertain if he heard right.

Ginny nodded her head.

Severus closed his eyes as he could feel the beginnings of a headache forming from too much information and yet not enough. He pinched the bridge of his nose; hoping the pressure would stem the headache off a bit longer. Opening his eyes, Severus subconsciously clasped his hands over his belt buckle and relaxed his stance. Although he looked relax, Severus could reposition himself and draw his weapons on the first sign of danger if need be.

"Ms. Weasley, when we get out of here and Potter is fully recovered, we are going to have a long chat about the dangers of rushing into foolish, childish blood-bonds." Severus stated.

This made Ginny bristle in irritation. The professor's tone indicated that he believed the teens had committed an irresponsible and childish act, which they did not comprehend the full consequence of their actions. On the contrary, the duo knew absolutely well what they had done, and there was a sense of 'rightness' in completing the blood-oath, which subsequently became their blood-bond. With the bond, Ginny found a sense of purpose and belonging to a grander scheme of things that she never knew was possible when she was just the 'Weasley's little sister'. And for Harry, the young red-head knew that Harry felt freer with the knowledge that he did not have to continue his accursed destiny alone. Harry was freer to find himself; knowing that there was at least one person by his side, who will _never _judge him.

Severus was not surprised to see the irritation in the young girl's face. It was not the first time that a teenager believed to know all and more than an adult nor was it the first time that Severus had to deal with said-type of teenager. Not waiting for a retort, which Severus believed would come from the girl, the Potion Master motioned for the group to move forward.

**Translations:**

_**Abi exsecratio de Babel **_**(Latin) - Break the curse of Babel**

_**AerE**_** (Parseltongue) - Harry**

_**on'frat **_**(youma-lingua) - older brother**

_**Shih'nus**_** (youma-lingua) - Lord**

_**Shisorn **_**(youma-lingua) - sisters**


	17. Chapter 17

_**Chapter 16: **__**Glimpsing the Truth**_

Lovegood, Granger, and Longbottom took the lead with Harry's pet, Sirius, among them. Severus was not surprised that the Weasley girl fell back to walk beside the comatose Harry, and Brown was walking behind a bit of the entire group. The group walked in silence, which could not suppress their awe.

For the first time, since the immediate concern of Harry's well-being had pretty much disappitated, the group could marvel at the wonders around them. They had exited the level belonging to Chamber Hogwarts to the next level above. This floor was larger than the floor below and was even larger than the Great Hall, which was two floors above. There was something about the construction of the floor that nagged at Severus' memory. The floor-plan was elongated with hundreds of cubicles along each side. The rooms were large enough to fit one person comfortably, but most likely held two people. The Spartan rooms reminded Severus vaguely of the old dormitory rooms of a Basilica monastery, but there was something wrong about the floor. Severus could tell that the entire floor was constructed by wood and plaster but… There was something that tickled at Severus' mind. A deep frown marred his face. Was it the gloom of the corridor or was the floor and walls nearly blacken? Was it the play of shadows from the light of the children's wands or was there truly something ghostly moving beyond the light's reach? Was it exhaustion amplifying his senses or was Severus truly sensing other beings on this level hidden in the shadows?

A slender hand reached out and brushed against a blacken doorframe. Bringing his hand closer, Severus rubbed the black substance between his fingers. It felt coarse and stained his fingertips black all the while disappearing into dust. Wafting his fingers beneath his nose, Severus picked up the faint scent of smoke. Moistening his dry lips, Severus glanced around nervously as he realized that _yes_, the entire floor was blackened. Blacken by soot and smoke. Severus realized that _yes_, there was ghostly movement beyond the light's reach. And _yes_, there was other beings haunting the corridor that was reminiscent of an old monastery dorm.

"Professor!" Lovegood gasped as she suddenly began retreating toward him. In fact, all of them drew nearer to his person, and he could see why.

Standing in the middle of the corridor was a silvery apparition of a young teenage boy; perhaps no older than thirteen or fourteen years old. The gentle looking youth had long hair and wore a long nightshirt that reached past his knees. Although the child's appearance did not conjure images of danger or evil, there was something about the boy's innocent appeal that screamed at their primal core. There was a type of sincerity surrounding the ghostly youth, which troubled Severus greatly. It was like a level of ecstasy fanaticism that the dark wizard had only seen in the Extremists, whether they be Muggle or wizard. It made the fallen wizard nervous as he made himself a barrier between the child apparition and his students.

Then with a blink of an eye, the once blacken corridor became alive and a new! The wooden flooring no longer looked charred nor covered with soot or black spots, but instead freshly stained to pristine condition. The plaster walls, no longer bare and blacken, were now white and freshly washed. The door-less cubicles now had simple doors to provide occupants a modest sense of privacy. The corridor was alit with low-lit torches, and the air was abuzz with soft snoring of children sleeping; children that Severus knew did not exist. The atmosphere was calm and peaceful as one would expect at night time, and yet there stood this one child with such a serene aura that it raised the fine hairs on the back of Severus' neck.

"Oh! Heavenly Father, who thou art in Heaven, forgive me for I have Sin! I have consorted with the Devil and have found a twisted sense of happiness among the children of Evil! Oh! Sweet Merciful Lord! Please, forgive me! Forgive my weakness and wickedness! Please, forgive these poor misguide Lambs of thine Holy Flock! Forgive them for they have been bewitched by the honey-sweet words of the Devil's Brood! Please, oh! Merciful Lord, for I too have been bewitched by their words! But I have returned to the righteous path of thy glorious design! Forgive my moment of mortal weakness, Milord God! Forgive these poor innocent Lambs for they know not the evilness that lie within them! And bless them into thy bosom once the vile Devil's touch have been purged from them! With thy blessing, oh! Heavenly Father! I shall cleanse this place of the Devil's Taint! With thy Holy Flame, wickedness shall be cleansed from thine Heavenly Garden! _Sanctus Incendium uro dissilio!_"

The hall torches sprang to life like hell-spawn monsters springing onto their helpless victims, and the agonizing screams of children being burned alive echoed off the walls; surrounding the mortal witnesses with no escape. The ghostly flames of the past surrounded the living witnesses as they huddled closer to one another and felt the haunting, hot flickers of magik induced flames.

||:**ENOUGH!**:|| A single voice commanded, and the shadow-flames of the past disappeared.

Leaving behind, the living to remember and mourn.

**~*~**

The group did not need to be told twice to run. Once the nightmarish haunting had ceased at Harry's command, they ran. They ran up the stairs to the next level. Harry had paused a moment to look back at the young specter, who continued his haunting as he had done centuries before in his mortal existence. Then Harry rejoined his friends and family on the next level. Once all together again, they hurried out of the lower levels; not stopping to ask questions that weighed heavily on their minds.

They had not stopped their course until they had reached the Great Halls once more and proceeded to collapse from physical, mental and emotional exhaustion.

"Bloody… *pant* … Hell!" Neville swore as he attempted to regain his breathe.

"What on Earth was that about?!" Lavender shrieked.

Harry, who was sprawled out on his back, weakly rolled his head toward his dorm mate's direction but choose to ignore her question. Instead, his attention rested on the tall man, who was using the wall for support. The man was paler than usual, and his mask was wavering but no one would have noticed unless they could see the subtle sheen of a magical shield. This made Harry curious about his future mate. The young demon Lord had known for a long time that the Potion Master wore a mask; both metamorphic and literal. The newly acknowledged Shadow Heir had seen shadows of what his Beloved truly looked like, but they were wispy glimpses. Harry had even tasted the magical mask that Severus wore and was addicted to the darker man's magik. If Severus was the third most powerful wizard while having the majority of his magik concentrated on the mask he wore, Harry could only imagine the wizard's strength once Severus removed his magical mask. A goofy grin graced the young demon Lord's face.

"Wipe that idiotic grin off of your face, Potter!" Severus growled.

The impressive growl made the grin even more pronounce.

Suddenly, as Severus half-heartedly requested, the stupid grin disappeared into an expression of pure and unadulterated irritation, which caused Severus to be on the alert. The Potion Professor knew of only a one individual, who could make Harry dramatically change from an easy-going teen to an irritated adult. Severus kept an eye on the entranceway while he heard shuffled movement from his students as they attempted to get to their feet.

"Severus, my Boy!" An aged voice chirped in mock relief.

A muffled growl could be heard from behind the Professor. Severus turned slightly to look curiously at Harry, who wore a closed expression as he stood there behind Severus. Was it Severus' imagination, or did Harry's hair looked wilder like the hackles of a dog when provoked?

"Ah! Harry Potter!" Albus cordially exclaimed.

"Headmaster." Harry's tone was neutral.

"Harry," The Headmaster frowned as disappointment laced the sage's tone, "there is no need for formalities between you and I."

Harry stood taller with his arms folded across his chest as he stared straight on into the Headmaster's eyes.

Severus schooled his expression to remain neutral and indifferent, but on the inside, he was chiding the boy's foolish bravery.

Luna, Neville, Hermione and Ginny shared concern glances with one another while Lavender looked on in confusion. Sirius stood beside his Master and Friend as he kept a wary eye on the individual hidden behind the Headmaster. The mysterious person's foul scent revealed his identity to the Hybrid bodyguard, who knew that his Lord had also scented the foul odor but did not acknowledge the individual's existence. Sirius knew it was because of his Lord's faith in _him _that allowed the Shadow Hound to concentrate solely on the old mageling, whose powers was waning.

Harry kept calm as he felt an offensive presence enter his mind. He knew who it was and was prepared for it.

_Can't this end quickly?! I need to get away! Away from him!_

Albus gently smiled like an old and wise grandfather.

"You missed our appointment that Minerva gave you." Dumbledor mildly chided.

"My apologizes, it seemed that I was distracted and delayed by events beyond my control." Harry's tone was anything but apologetic.

_I hate him! It's his fault I'm alone! I hate him! Don't leave me with him! I'll kill him!_

"Tsk. Tsk. Harry, do not lie to me." Albus' smile had a cunning undertone to it.

"Believe what you will." Harry honestly replied with a mild shrug.

_I want to get away from him! It's his fault! I hate him!_

"I am very disappointed in you, Harry, my Boy." Albus sighed.

_I swear I can't stand that arrogant git! He's nothing! I hate him! It's his fault! It's his fault that I'm alone! Alone with a madman after my head!_

"I will have to punish you for your apparent disregard for authority."

_**NOT HIM! ANYONE BUT HIM! I HATE HIM! I'LL KILL HIM! I SWEAR I WILL!**_

"You truly have disappointed me, Harry. Not even your father had caused this much trouble."

Harry's brow twitched.

_Smug bastard! Gloat! Gloat, all you want! You're nothing compared to my Father!_

"You'll be serving detention -"

_I'll kill him!_

"Until you can show proper gratitude for all we have done for you -"

'_Proper gratitude' for all that have been done for me?! If it weren't for _**him**_ then I wouldn't need to show 'proper gratitude'. It's __**HIS **__fault!_

"With… Severus." Dumbledor's smile had a viper's edge to it; believing he had finally set his pawn on the right course to his side and guidance.

Harry's body trembled, aware of the Headmaster's intentions, all the while his magik whirled around him much like a visible shield as he tried to keep his cool from the offensive presence still in his mind. His magik trembled about him with such violence that it became tangible and very visible for all to see. His magik whirled around him like a whirlwind with snapping tendrils, and the colors of his magik were breathtaking; a shade of purple that seem to be black encasing venomous emerald green. The tendrils snapped viciously at those not under his Shadow's protection, meaning the Headmaster and his companion felt the violent heat of Harry's magik while the others found themselves basking in a summer's warmth.

"Ah-mazing!" An sickly voice purred.

Harry ignored him. The intruder was of no consequence to the Alpha.

"Zuch power in one zo young!" The other male cooed as he made a step toward Harry with a glint in his eyes that Harry vaguely noted was similar to the one that a certain undead _yathus_ once gave the teen.

"Chauvelin…" Severus growled as he walked closer to Harry; drawing the pompous Frenchman's attention onto himself.

"Zeveruz! Mon Dieus! You are zafe!" The man named Chauvelin replied as he approached Severus with a smile that never reached his beady eyes.

The pale man with beady eel-black eyes then placed a clammy hand on Severus' hip only to be suddenly magically thrown away and dodging a dagger.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledor roared in shock and rage.

Harry growled at Chauvelin; baring fangs at the foolish mortal that dared to touch what belonged to him. Now, the intruder was threat… a threat to his Mate.

"I'z alright, Headmazta Dumbledor! Awlzough very powerful, he'z lack control." Chauvelin stated as he brushed off imaginary dust off his robes. Chauvelin then removed the dagger from the wall and inspected it with care. The dagger was in perfect condition; no nick nor dent. It looked as if it was never thrown into an ancient brick wall.

_Accio_ Dagger.~ Harry hissed subconsciously with a hand awaiting for the blade.

The blade willingly flew out of the wretch's hand and into Harry's. Under Harry's sensitive touch, Harry could feel the smooth perfection that belonged to the blade and the magik imbued in it. It belonged to Severus. Instead of returning the blade back to his agitated Dark Wizard, Harry pocket the beautiful weapon; continuing the charade that he had attacked the mysterious other man.

Harry returned his basilisk-like glare on the Headmaster, whose eyes held its insufferable twinkle.

"Are you done with me?" Harry demanded; biting back the word '_yathus_'.

"For now, Harry, my Boy, for now." Dumbledor ominously dismissed.

Ginny led the others past Dumbledor and out of the Great Hall.

Harry waited until the last of them had left before leaving himself. He brushed against Severus; letting his fingers tease against the knuckles of Severus' hand.

Severus remain impassive, but internally he was an emotional wreck.

"Severus will contact you, Harry, about your detention. Please, do be courtesy and attend them without fuss. I hate to make your punishment far more server than it is already. Do you understand me, Harry?" Dumbledor asked as he glanced over his glasses.

Harry paused then looked over his shoulder at Severus, who was daring Harry to throw a tantrum at that moment. Harry smirked in a predatorily manner then spoke softly and seductively, "Perfectly."

**Translations:**

_**Mon Dieus**_** (French) - My God**

_**Sanctus Incendium uro dissilio **_**(Latin) - Holy Fire Burn Asunder**

_**Accio**_** (Latin) - Come**

_**Yathus**_** (youma-lingua) - bastard**


	18. Chapter 18

_**Chapter 17: **__**Tables make Lousy Pillows**_

**THAWM!!**

Silence permeated the Great Hall as all eyes were focused on one specific table. The long table on the farthest right hand side was usually the loudest and rowdiest, despite it being only seven in the morning, but today even the rowdy table fell into a deathly silence as one of their own made a face plant onto the wooden table and not move! Sitting quietly by the mop of unruly raven mane was the cream-colored feline, whose expression was the feline equivalent of extreme displeasure. The feline's general focus of said displeasure was directed toward a certain red-haired boy, whose face was riddled with freckles. It was said boy's fault that the raven-haired mop-head had done a wonderful rendition of a swan dive into the wooden table.

"Harry..?" A gentle voice whispered as a hand attentively poked the comatose teen on the shoulder.

Only a low moan was heard.

"Harry?" The voice asked again a bit stronger with a shake to follow.

An arm flopped up; batting away the thing that would intrude on his much-needed slumber.

The feline looked at the curly haired blonde, who wore a strange and large ornament around his neck. The strange cat gave what sounded like a sigh then proceeded to lightly head-butt the unresponsive raven-mane youth.

"Ngh…" Moaned the sleeping mop as another arm raised and lazily scratched behind the cat's ear.

The cat stilled as it accepted the affection then bit the offensive hand in retaliation.

"Ngh…" Another moan erupted as the injured hand dropped onto the table and the black mop tilted to the side to reveal a pair of glossy emerald green orbs and a deep frown.

||:Wha…:||

"Mew!"

The frown deepened as his head weakly rose to look around.

||:Damn…:||

His body protested loudly at being forced to move a second time in such a little time-span. He was still feeling the effects of last night, despite his impressive stand against the Headmaster. He knew he was not in any immediate danger just as long as he could get some sleep… without interruptions, thank you very much!

"Harry? Are you okay?" The same voice asked.

Harry looked down; his droopy eyes peered at the lanky boy with the large ornament around his neck. Harry stared at the thing as if it was important. The boy looked familiar to Harry, but his sleep-deprived mind could not produce a name. However, although the boy looked familiar, there was also something wrong with the face or perhaps there was nothing wrong, just that the boy had grown, but who was this boy? Suddenly a shadow loomed over the boy, and the air was filled with the delicious scent of orange flowers.

"Mr. Creevey step aside." A voice that was like sweet music to Harry's sensitive ears drawled. "Well, now, Potter… Is something the matter with your own quarters, or do you feel that it is necessary for you to grace us with your presence?"

Harry looked into those dark pits of obsidian hues. He noted that they were darker than usual. He vaguely wondered why, but that thought soon disappeared with the happy thought of his Mate being near.

"_SzaeXaeSS_…" Harry whispered.

Suddenly a strong grip latched onto Harry's upper arm; startling him to sudden alertness. It took him a quick moment to realize that the wrist _he_ latched onto belonged to his future Mate, who was glaring at him hotly.

"I never gave you permission to use my name so liberally, Potter…" Severus viciously spat quietly so the two of them could only hear.

Harry frowned as his eyes narrowed. He knew he said his Mate's name in the Serpent's Tongue and yet his Mate clearly heard it. Had Severus heard his name uttered by the undead _yathus_ in Parseltongue so often that he knew the sound of his own name? If so then Harry would have to fix that for his demon blood would not allow another to be so intimate with his Mate, and Harry himself would not allow some pathetic worm to call his would-be-lover by name in an intimate manner, such as the Serpent's Tongue.

"Forgive me." Harry replied quietly; knowing it was best to placate his agitated Mate now and figure out the rest later when both parties had a clear head.

"Perhaps detention will teach you some manners." Severus sneered as he tighten his grip.

Harry kept an even glare with his intended Mate all the while fighting the desire to curl into the man's arms and go back to sleep. The man's scent, presence, and smooth, velvety voice was like a nice warm blanket that begged to wrap itself around its victim. If only it was just he and Severus then Harry would gladly be that victim, but at last it was not just them two. It was he, Severus, and the entire friggin' bloody school.

"My dear Severus…" Another voice broke into their staring contest. A voice, which annoyed both Harry and Severus, held a hint of bemusement.

Severus released his student and bane of existence. He tried to walk away but with no luck as he felt the ancient grip of his Master's boney hand on his arm. Severus remained where he stood. He was completely aware of what the Headmaster was attempting to do.

The old manipulator was trying to re-establish his former position as Potter's mentor in the eyes of the public and perhaps in Potter's eyes as well. Severus happened chance a glance at Potter but was surprised to see the thinly, concealed veil of hatred in those beautiful venomous green orbs. Did Potter also see what his Master was doing? Did that make the young man angry? Green orbs kept flickering between glaring at the Headmaster's face and … _His hand?!_ Severus looked at his Master's hand, which was still on his arm, then back at Potter, whose hair again was reminding Severus of a provoked hound. Then he remembered last night when Chauvelin placed a hand on his hip. Severus knew it was not _he_, who magically threw the French pig across the corridor. He _did_, however, throw his dagger at the overly flirtatious swine. Unfortunately the bastard ducked… At the time, he was too tried to think much of it but now… As he stared at the barely restrained youth, who have all the behavioral markers of a Bitten, Severus was beginning to suspect Har-Potter's behavior was much more than mere adolescent experimentation.

Severus took a calming breath. Rich obsidian orbs found themselves locked with un-ethereal emerald green orbs. He could see the other's concern. Had he sensed Severus' startling revelation? Severus did not know nor did he wish to know.

During the summer, Severus did nothing to dissuade Potter's infatuation, aside from half-hearted threats after each encounter. Severus knew he should have, but each time it felt like he was drugged and that drug was Harry, and that he needed that drug. He knew it was stupid of him, but he can clearly feel the warmth, hunger and affection that the younger male lavished upon him. It had been a long time since he felt that; almost another lifetime, it would seem. A small part of him that was selfish had won out and allowed the charade to continue; knowing that it would end once school began.

Despite Tonk's re-assurance, or insistence more like it, Severus suspected that Har-Potter was only playing the field… _Discovering what he likes._ He thought. Severus believed no one would be interested in the likes of him. He was corrupt, tainted and spoiled. _I should have put an end to this a long time ago…_ Severus belittled himself. _I'm only torturing myself._

"Don't you agree, Severus, my boy?" The Headmaster's voice pulled Severus out of his musings.

Although he found himself wandering in thoughts, Severus was well-trained and had heard what the Headmaster had said. The Headmaster, although a windbag, stated that Harry should retire for the day; seeing that Harry seemed unwell and still grieving for his dead godmutt. Not only was the Headmaster attempting to portray himself as the benevolent and sympathetic mentor, but he was also alienating Har-Potter from the rest of his schoolmates with preferential treatment.

"Whatever you feel is best, Headmaster." Severus dutifully replied.

The Headmaster beamed in delight at the submission then looked at the rebellious teen, who openly glared at him. Dumbledore mentally frowned at the child's behavior. The boy should have been grateful at his interference; not glaring at him as if he was his Servant. Or perhaps the boy was angry that he did interfere, which undermined any misperceived notion that the brat was his own independent person? Well, whatever the course, Dumbledor knew that he made the right decision for the boy must not be without him as his guide and mentor. The Wizarding World may look to the boy for guidance, but the boy will look to _him_ for guidance.

"Harry," Dumbledor lulled as he reached out to the brat.

Harry's eyes flashed dangerously at the old man as he attempted to lay a hand on the teen. The young teen had quickly learned that only certain individuals were permitted to touch him; individuals he on a subconscious level have named family and naturally those he deem as children.

"Don't touch me." Harry warned through a growl.

Dumbledor wisely took the boy's warning to heart; this time. Apparently the brat was truly still grieving for his dead bastard of a friend, and did not want to be comforted. Very well, Dumbledor knew how to play his cards. He would wait and use this to guilt the boy into submission at a later time.

"Professor Snape, I'll take your advice and go back to my quarters… It would seem that tables make lousy pillows to begin with." Harry commented as he gingerly rubbed his forehead to emphasis his point.

Severus stilled. He did not give such as advice… Then he remembered his comment when he had come by to check on Har-Potter. Severus schooled his expression, but his eyes sparkled in amusement that the young man would actually answer _his _question. Severus gave Harry the barest of nods, which the young man returned in kind before turning around and left.

"Harry!" The voice from earlier called; causing Harry to look over his shoulder.

**CLICK!**

Harry blinked then his eyes grew in flash recognition.

"**COLIN!**" Harry joyfully barked as he draped an arm over the camera-wielding teen's shoulders. Harry glanced toward his Mate's direction, who frowned a bit at the teen's display but nonetheless returned to the Head Table with the old _yathus._

"H-Hello Harry!" Colin stuttered as he felt himself being guided out of the Great Hall by his idol.

Once in the corridor, the average-height teen felt himself strain under the added weight of his hero leaning against him.

"**HAR**-"

"Shhhhhh…" Harry muttered, "Take me back to the Tower, Colin, please… Just need to sleep… Bastard didn't need to wake me up… Perfectly happy sleeping… Sleep's good… Don't need to eat and breath food, bloody _yathus_…"

"Ar-are you really okay?" Colin asked.

"Hm… Yeah, just _really_ tired…" Harry replied, "You've grown…"

"Hunh? Really?! You think so? Mama said the same thing, but I don't believe her. Moms suppose to say stuff like that, ya know?" Colin rattled off quickly.

Harry chuckled as they made their way through the Fat Lady. Harry frowned for a moment then shook his head. He had not said the password; hell, he did not even know the password to the Tower. _Maybe Colin said it, and I didn't catch it. He does talk fast._ Harry bemused as he not so gently plop onto a large bed in the middle of the room.

As he laid there, he quickly realized two things that were preventing him from falling into a much needed deep sleep. The first being that he was not in his dorm nor in his bed. Slowly pushing himself to a seated position, Harry noticed that he was in a single large room with only the bed in the center. The bed itself was not much of bed either; more like a pile of pelts and pillows arranged comfortably for his demonic side, and the room itself also reminded the half dog-demon of a den. It soothed the teen's frayed nerves. _How did I get here?_

"Harry, are you alright, and where are we?"

Ah! And the second thing that was keeping him from falling asleep was Colin. A young was in the den. Although not a pack member, Harry still felt the need to ensure that the other was safe before falling into unconsciousness. Harry knew of only one of two ways this could play out. He sighed deeply.

"C'mon Colin." Harry mumbled as he reached out toward the talkative teen.

"C'mon?" Colin blinked in surprise; not resisting Harry's pull toward the pile of pelts. "Where? Where are we going? Hey! What are we doing? Are you really going back to sleep? But you just got up! I'm not tired!"

"Hn." Harry grunted as he lightly pawed the chatty blonde's head down before settling down himself.

Colin fidgeted a bit and shortly afterward escaped Harry's arms. The young Gryffindor sat up, and he looked down at the half-sleeping Savior of the Wizarding World. Colin watched the other teen for a while longer before trying to crawl out of the bed. He had not even moved an inch when a strong hand grab hold of his slender arm. A high squeak erupted from the blonde's mouth as he looked down and stared into a pair of glazed emerald greens.

"Sleep." Harry roughly barked.

"But I'm not tired!" Colin whined much like a small child. "And besides I wanna develop these new photos!"

"Later. Sleep." Harry commanded as he continued to pull the teen down next to him. A young was in the den.

"But Harry!" Colin whined again.

"_Ii-lus_." Harry growled and pawed Colin's curly head back down onto the bed of pelts.

Colin suddenly found himself fighting a sudden yawn as he attempted to protest the fact that he was not tired.

"Meanie." Colin whimpered as he found himself soon asleep and curled into Harry's strong chest.

**~*~**

Colin took in a deep breath in and subconsciously rubbed his face against the strong and yet warm pillow. The young teen sleepily frowned as he thought about his pillow. His pillow was normally soft and fluffy; not warm and strong. Slowly his brown eyes opened to see a vast field of dark blue. Again another sleepily frown marred the usually go-lucky boy's face. Now that his slowly awaking mind thought about it, his pillow usually did not have a rhythmic beat to it. Lifting his head up, Colin's eyes snapped wide open as he realized that his pillow was in fact one Harry Potter, Savior of the Wizarding World.

The young man became suddenly aware at how warm he was feeling at being so close to a living god. The lanky teen began to squirm as he slowly moved out of the older teen's arms, which caused said teen to open one eye. Another blush kissed the teen's pale cheeks.

"Sorry…" Colin for once shyly muttered.

Harry lifted his head up as he looked around to ensure that there was no threat in his den. Then his mop of wild mane plopped back onto the pelted bed, which caused the younger housemate frown in concern.

"Harry, are you okay? Do you want to see Madame Pomfrey?" Colin rapidly asked as he crawled closer to the still fatigued teen.

"Ngh… Just need more sleep." Harry muttered. "_Tempus_."

Colin's eyes grew wide as he watched the time magically appeared at his hero's command without the aide of the other's wand.

"_Ben…_" Harry cursed as he noted that it had not been more than two hours since he and the younger boy stumbled into the mysterious room. Sluggishly Harry pushed himself up and held his heavy head in his hands.

"Better get you back before everyone begins to think that I ate you…" Harry humorlessly murmured.

"Really?" Colin innocently asked as he crawled out of the bedding of pelts, "Nah… No one will think that you ate me. Why would you wanna eat me? Humans aren't very tasty unless you have lots and lots and lots of ketchup. Besides Ron might think that you agreed to pose for me. Oh yeah! Would you pose for me?!"

"Hunh…" Harry blinked suddenly as his mind slowly translated the rapidly speaking Colin-nesse. "Pose? What do you mean 'pose'? And why would Ron think that?" The dark teen slowly asked as he reigned in his suspicions.

"Uhm… The pictures that I took of you." Colin cautiously answered. The young blonde teen began to worry about his hero's mental state. The other teen must be really tired if he did not remember the other pictures that the young aspiring photographer had took and gave to Ron to sell for charity. After all, Harry really liked to help people, and people really loved Harry that they were willing to buy his pictures, and the money went to a worthy cause. The money went to help the underprivileged and poor people! That was what Ron told him, and Ron was Harry's best friend so then Ron would not lie to him.

"Colin." Harry's tone surprised the worried blonde. "I'm not mad at you. I need you to tell me everything. Everything about those pictures."

"Uhm… Okay!" Colin decisively answered. "Ron said that your pictures would go for a lot of money and that we can help a lot of poor and underprivileged people."

"Ron..?" Harry quietly asked as he hid his pain from the innocent youth. He could not believe that his once best friend would use the naivety and innocence of a fellow student, for what? Harry could only guess and none of it very pleasant. Shaking his head in despair, Harry slowly stood to his feet and placed a gentle hand on the smaller boy's shoulder. Slowly the elder Gryffindor lead the younger out of the den and into the common room. So deep in thought, Harry did not notice the accidental shadow-walk he preformed into the common room.

"Harry, are you okay? You seem really pale." Colin genuinely asked; completely oblivious to the shadow-walk.

"I'm fine, Colin." Harry sighed, "Just tired, is all. Look, about your question. Let me think about it but don't say anything in case I say no. Alright?" Harry asked.

Colin smiled brightly and readily gave his agreement. Colin then disappeared into the small forming crowd in the Common Room while Harry watched. Hiding behind the taller teen and in the shadows, Harry felt Sirius shift into his humanoid form.

||:My Lord?:|| Sirius softly called.

||:Ron has been using Colin for personal gain.:|| Harry quietly replied. A heaviness laced his voice and a level of tiredness that the hybrid had never heard in his Lord's voice before. Harry sighed. The half-breed Lord had suspected that he and his former best friend would be separating to their own paths as they grew older. However, he never expected the level of deception and betrayal he was finding from the red-haired male.

||:Are you certain?:|| Sirius asked; not in doubt of his Lord but needed the confirmation of his Lord's belief for his Lord's sake.

||:I don't want to be.:|| Harry replied, ||:Come, I need a couple of more hours of sleep. Will you watch over me, my Brother in All but Blood?:||

||:Always, My Lord.: || Sirius immediately answered; feeling their bond strengthening between them just from his Lord's words. ||:I will always be by your side for I am your Man.:||

||:Thank You.:|| Harry whispered as he leaned against the strong form of the Childe of Fire and Ice.

||:Sleep well, my Brother in All but Blood, and may your dreams guide you to your course.:|| Sirius softly recited an old demonic blessing that he had heard once as a child.

**Translations:**

_**Ben **_**(youma-lingua) - shit**

_**Ii-lus **_**(youma-lingua) - no**

_**SzaeXaeSS **_**(Parseltongue) - Severus**

_**Tempus **_**(Latin) - time**

_**Yathus**_** (youma-lingua) - bastard**


	19. Chapter 19

_**Chapter 18: **__**The beautiful and regal Night Hunter, Shiv'n**_

The entire evening meal was lively with conversation as the small pack, together for the first time since arriving, talked about their summer holiday. Well, all save for Hermione, who was oddly silent until Harry decided to ask her about her Muggle friends. The question startled the young witch, but she proudly and quietly spoke of her three girlfriends, which fascinated the magically-raised teens around them. Soon there after, the evening meal finished, which meant the Prefects and Head Boy and Girl were to escort the first years to their respective dorms again to ensure that none of them would get lost in the great maze of Hogwarts' corridors. However, it also meant that the slowly healing witch would be with a certain volatile red-head. Harry was not going to have that as he motioned for Sirius to follow Hermione. Although she protested against the 'escort', the overprotective demon Lord would not hear any of it. The young witch eventually conceded to his worries and request but was confused when Harry asked for the password.

"Aren't you coming with us?" she asked.

"_Ii-lus_, I need to get something from Luna tonight." Harry replied, "Don't worry. I won't be long; hence, Sirius is … Eh… And Neville, it would seem, are your escorts."

Hermione was confused then smiled at the timid wizard, who suddenly appeared next to the witch.

"Thank you, Neville." Hermione commented as she hesitantly took the youth's hand then turned to Harry and told him the password; _The Grimm's Truth_. Harry smirked as he understood the hidden meaning behind the password.

Neville was a bit startled that the smart girl would hold his hand, especially since it did not escape his notice that she had been avoiding physical contact during their meal; unless it was Ginny or Harry. However, what surprised him even more was Sirius. Throughout dinner, the mysterious feline would growl at anyone, who would flirt with him… Not that he minded because he did not care for any of them. However, the feline did coolly look at his and Hermione's interlocked hands but in other words did nothing.

"_Nido youjin'toresn im'sum mott iilior y'qua ich-nus iru_." Harry's voice was soft, whimsical and whispery as he gently scratched behind a black-tipped ear, which eased the scowl on the feline's face.

The language was strange and yet also strangely familiar to the young Longbottom… Almost as if he heard it once in … A dream.

Harry then turned around and followed a group of Ravenclaw students; leaving his Pack in the capable paws of the Fire-Ice hybrid.

**~*~**

Harry frowned at the group of Ravenclaw. He had been following them, and they have yet come to realize that they were being followed. Perhaps he was being unfair and paranoid, but after what happened to Mina, Harry could not help but be concern about the students' safety in his Territory. No, never mind the fact that each of his years at Hogwarts was full of dangers. After all it was expected of him; being the bloody Savior and all. And now that ol' Fang-Face was out and about to do as he pleased…

Well correction, the undead _yathus_ could not do much of late; thanks to _Kaguumb_, and still there was a limit to what the endless Shadows could do. Besides it would do the citizens of the Wizarding World no good if they became dependent on the Shadows… Like they have become dependent of Magic and dependent of Dumbledor. Even though the Wizarding World did not know who their mysterious guardians were. Harry mentally sneered at the thought then returned to the thought at hand.

Harry would not deny that the undead _yathus_ was a threat; only because the citizens of the Wizarding World was foolish enough to allow the attention-seeking, inferiority-complex suffering prat to be one. Sadly Harry knew that the megalomaniac was not above to kidnapping, murdering and even raping his slaves into submission. But what really worried Harry was the fact if a Muggle was capable of instilling fear and terror in their victims like Mina's rapist had done then what about the capabilities of a wizard? Especially with the knowledge of spells and curses as their weapons…

Harry suddenly felt a cold chill rushing down his spine just by the mere thought of it as he worried about the number of the unknown victims that walked the magical world. His frown deepen as he continued to follow. _For the love of God! I'm not even shielding my aura! And they don't sense me at all?! A friggin Muggle can sense me! Why can't they?!_ Harry mentally cried. He suddenly came to a conclusion and a decision.

His conclusion was that the Wizarding World was too naïve of the dangers around them and too blind to it, and it was not just Voldie-puss and his merry band of Corpse Bitters that the Wizarding populous was ignorant of. It was also the dangers that even a _Muggle_ child knew of.

His decision was… He was going to change that. He was going to teach these students of the true world around them, and not some romantic bullshit that Gryffindors were good and Slytherins were evil nor that Light was better than Dark. The world was full of Shadows and Grays…

"Harry?" A surprised voice whispered; snapping Harry from his musings and self-berating of his damned Gryffindor-ish hero-complex.

"What are you doing here?!" Another female voice hissed; causing the Alpha male to coolly glare at the two females.

Standing in front of him was Cho Chang and her friend, whose name Harry had forgotten but recognized without difficulty; thanks to Mina's Acne Curse. Harry smirked.

"Well, it's good to know that no amount of magic can hide your act of betrayal." Harry purred as he quickly noted the Raven's Common Room; looking for escape routes.

It was large with a welcoming fire roaring in the fire place on the opposite side of the entrance way. It was the only thing welcoming. Everything else in the room was sterile and stuffy; even the students still lounging in the Common Room were rigid and cold. Harry felt caged within those walls. Although the Common Room was nicely decorated with tapestry in soft shades of blue and purple and with homely ladies in habits… The demon within bristled at the lack of warmth that he normally felt when he was with his Pack…

"What was that, you bastard?!" The girl hissed.

Harry turned cold-burning emerald green orbs onto her. If he was going to be trapped in this lifeless room then at least he could do was to instill a bit of terror that would make the Marauders and the Weasley Twins proud.

"Hold your tongue!" Another voice challenged with steely command.

It was hard to believe that such a tone could exist from Luna. Had it not been for the aloof witch's calming scent of blooming willow buds, Harry would have thought it was another.

"Or what, you nutball?!" The pock-faced female hissed.

Her hand twitched toward her wand hostler. Harry already moved in front of Luna; presenting himself as the foolish Raven's challenger. However, even she faltered in her resolve to save her dignity and pride when she saw the barely concealed murderous intent in those Killing Green eyes. None threaten his Pack in his presence without suffering the consequences; regardless of gender.

"Marietta, please!" Cho pleaded with her friend.

"Why? He walked in here like he owns the place and insulted me!" The girl shrieked much like a howler monkey.

"Apparently not all Ravens are smart." Harry coolly replied, "Your housemates allowed me entry without so much as a second thought. And as for the so-called insult… I merely spoke the truth. If you have no taste for it then perhaps…" Harry trailed off.

Suddenly the half-demon Lord felt a subtle spike in Luna's aura; making him look over his shoulder. He could see that she was restraining her Third-Eye's exposure as she also attempted to maintain her calm. With a gentle hand, Harry caressed the side of the pale girl's cheek. The action startled the young witch and those present.

"Milord?" Luna's voice was soft and only his ears heard her.

Harry said nothing. His concern was to ensure that his pack-mate was calm and within control of herself.

"Better?" He finally asked once he scented her usual calming scent once more. She awarded the troubled teen with her usual wayward smile, which Harry awarded her with one of his own.

"Harry!" Cho called out as she reached for his arm; attempting to draw him to her side.

Harry resisted the urge to bare his fangs at the annoying female. However, nothing could have prevented the growl that easily rolled out of his throat. His demon blood was revolted by this weak, sniveling female; making him wonder what did he ever saw in the young witch in the first place. The teen's human heart tried to be fair but could not forget the sting of betrayal that he felt when he was with the Asian girl last year. She had used him to gain information about Cedric's death; information he only gave to Cedric's family. She had also used him to further her own social standing among the Wizarding Elites. She was weak. Not like his true mate, who was the third most powerful and strongest Wizard in all of Britannia… even with his magik focused on his mask.

"Unhand me _weh'j-vir!_" Harry growled.

The hostility was obvious. No one could ignore his command. The Asian witch immediately let go and stepped back in fear.

"Do. Not. Touch. Me. Ever. Again." Harry pronounced each word with a snarl then turned to Luna, whose turn it was to calm her Lord. She could see the Shadows on the walls moving in agitation. She did not know what exactly was causing the Shadows to move, but she easily suspected that it was her Lord's doing.

"But Harry! I - I Love you!" Cho cried loudly; hoping it would persuade the famed boy to stay, to stay with her.

"Tch. You love me? You don't know what love is." Harry darkly replied as he lead his pack-mate out of the oppressive den and out into the corridor.

Once outside and away from noisy busybodies, Harry found himself leaning against the wall and breathed in deeply the fresh night air. As he slowly calmed his hot-blood, Harry subconsciously cast out a scan to ensure that he and Luna were safe and alone. Despite the fact that he felt as if something or someone was watching him, there was no obvious signs of a threat.

"I don't like you being in there." Harry frowned.

"It is my House."

Harry snorted.

"And I am your Alpha." Harry commented as he slowly stood up. "Let me talk with Mina about having you bunk with her. I don't like my Pack separate."

"If that is your wish." Luna submitted. She knew that she could not nor would she talk her Lord out of whatever he was planning, and quite frankly, she was hoping that his plan would come through. She knew that she could easily survive by ignoring her housemates and others as she had done in previous years, but her main concern was her control over her Third Eye, which was tenacious at best. She felt that if she were among those that she felt most comfortable with then maybe… May be her control would stabilize, and she would be of more use to her Lord.

"Harry..?" She trailed off as she thought over her Lord's behavior toward his one-time crush.

"Hm?" Harry grunted as he suddenly was looking down the darken corridor.

Harry could not shake the feel that he was being watched… Evaluated would be perhaps the best word to describe what he was feeling. He could feel and taste the change in the air and atmosphere of the castle. His _shisorn_ and Neville had told him that the castle felt more like him than before. Unfortunately Harry could not compare to what they were saying with his past knowledge. In all honesty, the castle had always felt alive to him. The only difference he could sense was that it felt _**more**_ alive. Perhaps that was it.

"Harry, I'm curious as to your reaction toward…"

"You mean the touching thing?" Harry interrupted her, and she nodded. She was truly curious. If he did not like to be touched then why was he so textile with her and the others?

"Cho's not pack. Nor will she ever be." Harry stated.

"Pack?" Luna blinked in confusion.

Harry sighed.

"It's a dog and a demon thing. Only pack have skin privilege. Only pack can touch because pack is good. Pack is safe. Pack is family." Harry explained as best he could. He did not really understand it either. He had quickly learned to just accept his instincts. He also found that it was easier to just trust those instincts because they had yet to led him astray.

"I understand." Luna softly replied as she quickly remembered that Harry was much more than a _mere_ wizard, or human for that matter.

Harry held his hand out toward his pack-mate, who without question placed her own tiny hand into his. Luna watched in fascination as a single claw cut lightly against her palm. Her mousy-brown eyes widen as she watched the bright red liquid began to pool to the surface. Harry titled her hand over; letting the fresh crimson life-force to fill a vial that magically appeared. Luna watch in a daze in somber realization that her Lord was in fact a dangerous and feral force of nature, and yet he still held an air of gentleness that most would never see or expect. She watched as the raven-haired teen gathered her blood into the clear vial then slipping it into his pocket. Luna was about to pull out her wand to heal her wound when she froze in shock as Harry leaned down. He brought her bloodied palm to his lips. A sharp gasp echoed throughout the corridor as the quiet witch felt the rough, warm and wet tongue lapping the blood up.

As the rough texture of Harry's tongue lapped the last remains of blood from her palm, Luna felt a soft tingle seep into the open wound. Then without ceremony Harry pulled away. Again her eyes widen as she saw her wound healed. There was only a faint pink line to indicate an injury, and Luna suspected that soon even that faint line would fade; leaving no evidence of any kind that she was injured. She held her hand close to her chest as she watched him. He smiled; pleased that the wound was healed.

"Half-demons and Hybrids have a natural healing properties in their salvia; far more potent than a full-blooded demons." Harry explained.

"Thank you." Luna whispered.

"For?" Harry frowned.

"For everything, Milord." Luna replied.

"You're pack. There's no need for thanks." Harry said then leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead; near her Third Eye. Harry lightly smirked as he felt the hidden eye twitch at the close contact.

"You take it easy, and I'll see you tomorrow." Harry stated.

"Yes, Milord." Luna wistfully whispered while giving a faint bow.

Harry smiled and shook his head. He began to turn away when his eyes narrowed on a suddenly retreating backside of a brunette girl.

"Be careful." Harry commanded then walked away.

Luna had followed Harry's green gaze and also saw the retreating girl. Luna knew immediately it was Marietta, Cho's friend and the school's best gossip next to the Parvati twins. The pale blonde witch was not worried. She knew that the two girls would be still wary of Harry and his temper to try anything… yet. She also knew that by the time they have gained the courage to do anything against her, her Lord would have already had her moved. Closer to him and the Pack. The Pack… Luna liked the sound of that. Harry was right when he said that the Pack was good and safe because the Pack was family. She could feel a warmth growing in her heart at the idea that she had a family. She never really knew what a family was like. Her mother died when she was but a babe, and her Father… She loved her Father, but after her mother died, her Father lost not only his will to live but his sanity as well. Luna believed that it was mostly because of her and her Father's own magik that kept him from actually dying and leaving her all alone. She smiled softly. She would have to write to her Father and tell him the good news. Perhaps then he could find some peace.

Finding a level of peace that she did not know existed within herself, Luna walked back into her dorm and was immediately confronted by the Dorm Princess and several other girls; most of whom Luna knew had a crush or two on her Lord. She blandly looked at each of the girls and knew that they were not worthy of her Lord. They were superficial creatures. Her Lord was a strong, powerful and honorable man, who needed a mate just as strong, powerful and honorable.

"What did he want with you?!" Cho demanded. Her dark eyes glared with unbridled jealousy.

"That is none of your concern." Luna coolly replied.

"_**WHAT?!**_" Cho hissed; making her very ugly.

Luna's eyes became cold as she narrowed on them. The sudden harshness in her eyes startled several of the girls as they subconsciously stepped back. Luna then walked away to her own room. Ignoring the gossiping chicks in the Raven Common Room, Luna instinctively knew that she was no little chick, but a beautiful and regal Night Hunter.

**Translations:**

_**Ii-lus**_** (youma-lingua) - no**

_**Kaguumb **_**(youma-lingua) - Shadow**

_**Nido youjin'toresn im'sum mott iilior y'qua ich-nus iru **_**(youma-lingua) - Two bodyguards are better than one.**

_**Shisorn**_** (youma-lingua) - sisters**

_**weh'j-vir**_** (youma-lingua) - wench**

_**yathus**_** (youma-lingua) - bastard**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 19: **_**Taste of Heaven**_

Harry breathed in deeply and knew from the cool crisp taste of the air that it was later in the evening than he had expected. The young man had not intended to stay out so late with his pack-mate, but what was done was done. Immediately the Mageling began his habitual perimeter check; this time of the campus grounds rather than Grimmauld Place. He hoped that by doing so he could also figure out the oddly persistent feeling of being watched.

As he prowled his Territory, Harry made a mental note to ask Sirius if the Hybrid sensed anything. Perhaps a different perspective would help the young Lord understand what he was sensing. Harry continued his silent trek throughout the campus grounds with heavy thoughts about the changes in his life, and more importantly on how he was planning on to teach the students to defend themselves. Even though he had yet a class with the supposed 'Demon Hunter', Harry felt that the need for the Defense Association would be required once more. Perhaps he could somehow make the club official. He would have to discuss his ideas with Mina, after all she was his most renown expert on school rules and regulations. He would have to hope that he could somehow convince Severus to be the Professor Advisor for the club. Besides who better to oversee a club of defensive learning than the foremost renown expert of the subject? As he thought about it, the young man had a sneaking suspicion that this year, if the DA could not be an official club then it would need a deeper level of secrecy than last year, especially since he decided to open the club to _**ALL**_ students despite House and Affiliation.

As ideas and solutions popped and danced about his mind, Harry could not help but wonder for a brief moment on why was he bothering? In the beginning when he learned of the prophecy, Harry had fully expected himself to die with good ol' Fang-fart, but when he came to his demonic heritage… Harry found and discovered a level of hope that he could survive and could possibly live his life the way he saw fit… In _Ma-Terrarum_. He had nothing in the human world. Nothing that could tie him permanently to the realm of Muggles or Wizards. He knew that if he were to leave this realm then his Pack would follow. His Pack and his Mate would follow. So why did he bother?

Harry paused for a moment as he thought about his Mate again. With a slight tilt of his head, Harry took another deep breathe in and a small, feral smirk graced his face as he scented the addictively familiar scent of orange flowers.

"If you could leave this world and go where no one can find you… Not Voldemort… Not Dumbledor… Would you go?" Harry asked.

A soft and almost inaudible gasp greeted Harry's sensitive ears as well as the slight speed in the other man's tattooing heart.

"Such foolish, Gryffindor-ish idealism and dreaming." Drawled the cool voice that was music to the young half-demon.

Harry glanced over his shoulder and peered deeply into twin pools of moonless abyss.

Severus' breathe hitched in his throat as he looked at the young man before him. It was not the first time Severus found himself looking beyond a mask that the younger wore. It was a mask of different quality than his own, but a mask nonetheless. It was as if Har-Potter had liberated himself from the chains of expectations that bounded him to an identity that never really had been his own; more like the product of the Headmaster's creation. It was as if _Harry _was finally born.

"Even Slytherins have ideals and dreams." Harry softly replied.

Severus kept quiet.

Harry turned around fully looking at his intended Mate. He thanked all the known and unknown deities for his enhanced sight. Without it, Harry would never have been able to appreciate the lean and well-muscled figure hidden beneath the layers of robes. It was perfectly sculptured and well-defined with years of training and discipline, and it fit perfectly against his own. He ought to know after having been pressed against his Dark Angel's body on a few occasions. A particularly delightful memory of one incident came to Harry's forethought and placed a whimsical smile on the young Lord's lips.

Severus nervously licked his lips. A horrible habit, he had thought gone, when he was nervous. He was not stupid nor naïve to _not_ notice when someone was checking him out. He suddenly tensed when he realized his mistake. His damned nervous habit had just drawn the attention of a pair of glowing Killing Curse green orbs to his lips. Normally Severus would dismiss the notion that anyone would check him out. Mostly because no one knew… No one living knew what the older man truly looked like. He had been wearing his mask ever since he was young and began his training as the successor to his father's legacy. In the beginning, it was part of his training in disguises, but as he grew older and learned his cursed fate, it became a part of him… Protecting him from unwanted advances. No one knew. Neither of his Dark Masters knew the truth about him, and yet here was a young man not yet in his major by Wizarding standards looking at him as if… As if, he saw the truth. _Impossible_. Severus' mind adamantly denied.

"You shouldn't…" Severus whispered ever so softly.

Instinctively the dark wizard stepped back in fear for the first time in a _very _long time.

Harry immediately frowned as he heard and scented the bitter foul odor of fear coming from his Mate. He did not like hearing his strong and proud Mate fearful. He did not like the foul odor marring the delectable scent of orange flowers. His Mate should not have fear… Especially of him.

"Shouldn't what?" Harry asked as he moved closer, attempting to bring some solstice to his Mate.

Severus shook his head free of his panic. He had faced many things that would make even the great Mad-Eye Moody cringe. He was _not_ about to run away from one adolescent young man. Severus stared back without fear and full of pure determination. His vision suddenly was filled with unholy bright emerald green eyes. He had not realized that the young man had gotten so close to him. Only a hair's breath separated the two.

"I shouldn't what, _SzaeXaeSS_?" Harry's voice purred gently in Severus' ear.

Severus ignored the shiver down his spine in favor of reacting. In all honesty, he had not realized that he had done it. It was purely instinct and muscle memory. His endless black pools of obsidian stared into a pair of highly amused green fields. Annoyance danced across the fields of moonless midnight as Severus realized that the bane of his existence was _not_ affected in the least bit by what he had done. Nope, not in the least was Harry affected nor surprised by his Mate. The young demon Lord suspected that there was much, much more to his chosen Mate but… Okay maybe he was a bit surprised at the near Seeker-level reflex the other man had, but the _oh-so-friendly_ dagger that was digging into his chin? Nope, he was not surprised by _that_ at all. After all, he coveted one of his Mate's daggers from the night before. It was beautiful as was his Mate. Harry lifted his chin higher; exposing his throat to his Mate; showing his Mate that he yielded to him… For now. Severus recognized Harry's action and understood that the younger man was submitting; however, Severus could not shake the feeling that the submission was only temporary.

"Don't toy with me, Potter." Severus threatened with a slight hiss.

Harry's eyes darken. He had not expected to hear an accented hissed that was common after speaking the Serpent's Tongue. It made him wonder even more about his Mate. The young Lord pushed that thought to the background for another thought that overshadowed the first. His Mate… his beautiful and deadly Mate had just issued him a challenge. His demon blood purred at the thought. He liked the idea that his Mate was not submissive. He loved the thought that his Mate would be a challenge… And probably would be each time.

With reflexes graced to him by his Blood-Sire, Harry grabbed Severus' hand away from his exposed throat, snaked his free hand behind the old man's head, fingers racked through silky, soft locks then slamming their lips together! The sudden force and action alone startled the darker wizard; exposing his inner cavern to the velvet appendage that was Harry's tongue. Severus did not know what to do as he watched Harry assault his mouth in every sensual fashion possible. Slowly Severus' eyes closed as he leaned into the kiss; mentally cursing his own body's treacherous reaction. However, even he could not deny his own desire to tentatively explore his assailant's mouth. His own tongue begged for entrance. Harry purred in delight. The vibrations send delicious shivers down Severus' spine; causing him to moan and subconsciously pressed closer against the leaner wall of muscles. Severus' tongue found refuge in Harry's warm cavern.

Dueling appendages battled for dominance, but one quickly yielded in shock when it was pierced by a sharp fang. Severus attempted to pull away; however, Harry would not relent. His demon blood craved for the sweet taste of his Mate's blood, which made him lightly bite the other's tongue. The sweet metallic ambrosia was immediately lapped up while the healing salvia coated the wounded tongue. Satisfied by both having a sip of his beautiful Mate and healing the wounded appendage, Harry pulled away and nuzzled his face into the crook of the darker man's neck. Harry could feel the fleeting heartbeat that raced beneath Severus' flesh. He awarded the fleeting beats with feather-soft kisses.

Severus panted for air while his mind quickly processed what just happened. Consciously Severus knew that this was not the first time that he was assaulted by the younger male. He had allowed the assaults during the summer to happen because quite frankly, he was being self-ish. He had assumed that the younger man was only playing the field. He had even convinced himself of it the other night but… Severus was the type of man who believed action spoke louder than words. Oh boy, did this ever spoke louder than just mere words!!!

Harry Friggin-Bloody Potter was playing for friggin keeps!

"_SzaeXaeSS, wata neus ko'mo,_" Harry murmured as he continued to nuzzle the crook of pale flesh and gave it a light nib.

A quiet moan escaped Severus' throat.

"I will never toy with you." Harry vowed but quickly the older man felt the younger's talented lips form a devilish smirk, "Unless you want me to…"

"Brat…" Severus bit out as he gave the young man a slight shove away. Severus clearly heard the innuendo in those words. With a scowl that the younger was familiar with, Severus started to walk away.

"Your detention starts tomorrow. Eight o'clock sharp. Do you hear me?" Severus hissed over his shoulder.

"Loud and clear, _FhaefahSSa_." Harry purred before slipping into the shadows.

**Translations:**

_**SzaeXaeSS**_** (Parseltongue) - Severus**

_**wata neus ko'mo**_** (youma-lingua) - my Love**

_**FhaefahSSa**_** (Parseltongue) - Professor**


	21. Chapter 21

_**Chapter 20: **__**Doesn't mean I have to like it…**_

"_**KATDO!**_" Harry whispered in a nearby clearing within the Forbidden Forest with a large Cheshire cat-like grin.

Sirius only raised an eyebrow but did not ask. He knew already what was making his Lord and Friend happy. He could still pick up the faint scent of arousal and orange flowers on the other raven-haired youth's body. Sirius knew of only one person, who carried that particular scent. It was his Lord's Dark One. Sirius was silently pleased that Harry had begun the Chase, or better equivalent to _nin-nus_ courtship. As once a nameless demon, Sirius found himself with a better understanding of noble politics, seeing as he lived in the shadows as either an observer or an assassin. He knew it would have been a matter of time before the other Lords, both lesser and major, would begin to pressure his Lord into finding a Consort for the throne.

Among demon nobility, a Consort could be either a true mate or a mate via arrangement. The latter being the most common due to the rarity of finding one's true mate. However, despite _that _fact, Sirius knew that his Lord and Friend would never consent to finding a mate via arrangement. For Harry, and even for himself, the only mate needed or ever wanted would be their true Mate and no other. Having grown up without love had pretty much ensured that only true love would be a factor in selecting a mate. A corner of the stoic demon's lips twitched upward as he thought of his own Chase.

Immediately Sirius felt a calm befall over his two warring sides as he thought about the calm and timid Nev-ill. But soon the calm dissipated as the ever-alert hybrid surveyed the area in which he and Harry had arrived. Sirius noted absently a deep frown on his Lord and Master's face as he glared at the portal device.

"I swear by Merlin's Beard this thing has a mind of its own." Harry growled before tucking the alchemic device away.

In the far distance, both demon youths could see the peak of a tower spire. It was the Great Tower Library, which sat at the furthest eastern corner of the Palace Grounds. Open to the public and scholars alike.

"So… how long do you think it'll take at top speed?" Harry asked as he himself guessed approximately four to five hours.

"Four. Maybe five hours." Sirius confirmed.

"Thought so." Harry mumbled then disappeared. He did not even look back to see if Sirius had followed. The young Lord knew that the Child of War would follow. Harry smiled at the knowledge; knowing that he had someone he trusted watching his back, especially so shortly after discovering his former friend's treachery. With a shake of his head, Harry was home for the time being, and he was not going to let ill thoughts ruin it for him.

As the duo leapt from treetop to treetop, Harry could not shake the sense that they were needed in this portion of his territory. It would not be the first time, nor the last, Harry suspected, that the Portal Gate had led him and Sirius to an area in need. However, this would be the first time that the Gate had led them so far out of his City's walls. Harry hoped that whatever discourse was in his lands, that it was not too serious. As they traveled through the tree tops, Harry thought back to what could possible caused the Gate to send them there. Nothing came to mind save for an inkling of rumors… Rumors of demons with mixed heritage disappearing to never been seen again. Unfortunately, there was no way to confirm such rumors. Harry did not like that in the least bit.

Glancing over to his companion, emerald green orbs locked for a brief moment with crimson-red. No words were ever needed between them, which Harry found refreshing in comparison to his adventures with Ron. Again shaking his head free of stray thoughts, he needed to focus on the problem at hand. Looking down at his feet, Harry frowned again as he landed gracefully on the forest floor.

"Damn trainers…" Harry grumbled as he bent down to retie his broken shoelaces.

"Hn." Sirius grunted in response.

"That's it… I'm gonna stick with boots… Screw _nin-nus_ opinions…" Harry continued to grumble as he continued to battle with his shoelaces.

Sirius watched as his Lord fumbled with the odd-looking strings.

Suddenly the duo disappeared just as the ground exploded due to a high impact from a strange demon's fist. The explosion separated the two friends and brothers-in-arms.

Harry quickly found himself surrounded by at least four demon with fire-like hair and armed with a variety of pointed swords and spears; making the young Lord wonder if it was 'stick Harry with pointy objects' day, and he just did not receive the memo. Harry watched for a brief second from his peripherals that Sirius was also surrounded by these demonic bandits; however, the other teen was disproportionately surrounded, which told Harry that these bandits had no idea who _he _was and yet held some sort of grudge against Sirius.

"This one is nothing more than a half-blood yelp." One of Harry's aggressors sneered; drawing Harry's attention back to his aggressors.

Harry placed a perfect mask of worry and concern about his face while he observed his assailants. The four before him were large and without a doubt physically strong. However, the teen barely felt any level of demonic aura coming from them, which could mean nothing or something. The weapons each carried revealed that these bandits preferred to attack from a distance, which meant that Harry would have to get up and personal with these guys. Not a problem for Harry, who had demonic speed and Seeker-reflexes. But first he had to see, what these foolish nimrods were capable of.

"Please, sir, my friend and I meant no harm. We're just passing through." Harry quietly said, hoping that a confrontation could be avoided. However, the sneering jeers on the bandits' faces told the young Lord that his hope was futile.

"'No harm'…" Another aggressor echoed in a sickly high-pitched wail in poor attempts to imitate Harry's own words. Harry winced at the pitch. "No harm indeed you filthy piece of scum… You're very existence is harmful… mingling our pure blood with that of disgusting, filthy humans'… Disgusting… Filthy little freaks of nature…"

Suddenly the air became devoid of warmth.

But the bandits paid no heed.

"You and that piece of garbage over there… Both of you pieces of filth… Polluting the purity of demon kind… You both will pa-- Achk!" The speaking demon gasped as he felt his throat being closed by a steely grip.

His eyes widen when he realized that he had been taunting an afterimage of the young Lord. His bulging eyes glanced down to find himself staring into a pair of glowing green eyes. His mind barely processed the fact he was also several feet in the air. His throat was held by a tendril of shadow that came from the half-demon's own shadow!

"You've made a very grave mistake, my friend." Harry's voice was cool and devoid of any emotions. "All of you did… No one attacks my Pack and lives."

Then darkness encased the bandits.

Sirius glanced to where he last knew his Lord to be. He had felt a sudden chill in his soul before he was flooded with the familiar protective warmth that the young hybrid attributed to his Lord. However, he only saw a globe of shadows swirling around; keeping whatever the globe encased inside. A mental frown graced Sirius' thoughts as he wondered what these fools had done to piss his Lord off. It was not that the young Child of Fire and Ice pitied the fools; it was more that he was concern for his Lord's mental health afterwards. No thanks to those idiotic _nin-nus_ that controlled the young Lord's life, Harry had a difficult time in accepting that his anger and rage were a part of him and not something to be objected.

"You should be more concern about your own neck, Abomination…" Growled one of Sirius' attackers.

Sirius casually glanced back his group of assailants. They were weak. The only thing they had going for them was the fact that they were large, physically strong, and of course more of them. Sirius could not sense any level of demonic aura that could pose a problem to him. A discrete whiff of the air around them, and Sirius could pick up the telltale scent of fire. They were fire-wielders, and again weak ones.

It was not hard for any demon to learn what type of creature Sirius was. After all it was in his scent. The scent of fire and ice mingled together, bringing to the forethought of war and destruction. A stray thought went to his _nin-nus_, whose own scent brought to the forethought of peace and construction.

Again glancing back to the globe of shadows, Sirius wondered what his Lord would do now. The globe had not disappeared.

"**DO NOT IGNORE US, YOU FREAK OF NATURE! YOU AND THE HALF-BREED WILL DIE! AS WILL ALL THOSE THAT THREATEN THE PURITY OF OUR RACE!**" Roared one of the bandits.

_Ah! They are one of them._ Sirius thought and quickly surmised that one of his Lord's bandits had said a certain little word that normally sent the Shadow Hound over the edge. Nope, Sirius did not pity these fools.

_Well, if they wish to continue their folly, then I might as well stretch out my muscles._ The young bodyguard thought as he widen his stance and lowered his center. His hands automatically rested on the twin jutte at his low back. His eyes never wavered from the lead bandit before him. The bandits jeered at the younger demon youth. As one, the bandits lunged at the lone teen. Sirius closed his eyes for a moment then slowly re-opened them. He would eliminate any threat to his Lord and his Lord's people.

"**WE'LL RID THE WORLD OF YOUR IMPURITY! YOU AND THAT HALF-BREED BASTARD!**" The bandits roared.

"**KILL HIM!**" They cheered as they rushed him.

Sirius remain still, waiting for the first to approach.

Two reached him before the others.

Ducking low, Sirius pushed himself into the air.

The two collided with shocked expressions at their own stupidity. Neither moved again.

Somersaulting in the air, Sirius used his body's rotation to pull out his twin jutte. Upon returning to terra-firma, the Fire and Ice blocked a thrusted pike as the agile youth twisted his body for a powerful and effective roundhouse kick.

The bandit was still alive but will not move in this lifetime.

The pike still trapped between the jutte, Sirius spun around, using the pike to knock down the remaining bandits.

The three remaining bandits were dazed, stunned and in a lot of pain.

They did not realize the strength that the Child of War possessed was great. In fact even Sirius was surprised by him own strength. Sirius always knew that he was strong and knew that he could get stronger, which apparently was what had happen. He would have to thank the First General, Sather Reddenhound. Annoyed and slightly disturbed at the ease in which he defeated the bandits, Sirius then turned his attention back to his Lord, who was still in the Globe of Shadows.

A slight frown marred the teen's face as he tried to remember what he had heard about the powers of a Shadow Hound. Shadow Hounds, to begin with, were rare, and their abilities a closely guarded secret. However, he had heard one of the much older Council Elders make the comment that the Globe of Shadows was in reality another dimension, where the sins of the captive were laid bare and examined for judgment. As Harry learned more and more about his abilities, albeit mostly through trail and error, Sirius wondered if maybe the Shadow Hounds were somehow related to the Hell Guardians of old Lore. With another frowned, Sirius pushed such thoughts back as he watched the globe suddenly melt away to leave behind a highly agitate Shadow Master.

"_Shih'nus._" Sirius called.

Harry looked at the source of the voice. His vision was blurry from unshed tears. He had seen the horrible crimes that those bandits had committed. It sickened him. It also sadden him to know that even in the demon world there were prejudicial purist and racists. He palmed his eyes to get rid of the tears, unaware that his Friend and Brother in all but Blood had come closer.

"Siri…" Harry's voice was strained and tried.

"_Haita_." Sirius answered as he placed an uncomfortable hand on the teen's arm.

Harry gave the usually stoic demon a weak smile.

"I won't stand for it." Harry decreed.

Sirius tilted his head to the side. He understood what his Lord was referring to. The Northern Lord was not going to stand by and allow bigotry and hatred ravage his land. His Lord was going to fight it with everything he had. Sirius nodded, physically showing his support and his commitment to stay by his Lord's side.

**~*~**

"_**SHIH'NUS **_**HAIJIME!**" A strong voice bellowed, drawing the teen's attention as they finished securing the bandits to a tree. "_**YOUJIN'TORES**_** SIRIUS!**"

Harry sighed a breath of relief, one of which he had not realized that he was holding. The teens had felt a strong surge of demonic aura coming toward them and had first thought that it could have been the bandit's more powerful friends coming. However, the shout of their names told them that it was a friend and not an enemy. Harry did not know if he could handle any more enemies. He was hiding his fatigue, even though it was moot point to do so because Sirius was the ever-so-attentive friend and protector already knew. Despite the fact that Sirius knew of the young Lord's exhaustion, Sirius did not push the matter. Sometimes it was better to power through a situation rather than to think about it. Harry knew that he would have to deal with the consequence of his actions, but right now, he just wanted to get it over with. Harry released another sigh of relief as he watched the imposing figure of his First General, Sather Reddenhound.

Reddenhound was an imposing Blood Hound from another continent. He reminded the younger dog demon of the ancient Celts that once ruled Britannia prior to the Romans. Reddenhound was not tall in regards that his height would pose a threat. It was the male's entire presence which screamed warrior. He was thick built and well muscled. His hair was a vibrant shade of auburn with surprisingly natural curls. Many of other demons learned not to make fun of the Blood Hound's locks or else they would find themselves at least two weeks at the hands of a Healer. All and all, the older demon's physical appearance did pose an over-baring figure, but it was his eyes that caught the younger half-demon's attention. In some ways, they reminded the younger man of his late Godfather. Not in color, for Reddenhound's eyes were to shade of early dawn blue while his Godfather's eyes were a deep royal blue. No, what made Harry remember his Godfather was the fact that both men's eyes were soft, kind, compassionate and sparkled with a playful mirth.

"_Shih'nus!_" Reddenhound bounded toward his young Lord and Charge.

His bright baby blue orbs scanned the area for any further threats that the teens may have forgotten, but found none.

"Reddenhound." The Shadow Monarch called back while the Child of Fire and Ice gave the barest of nods of acknowledgement.

"What happened?" Reddenhound demanded, ignoring proper protocol when dealing with nobility. His main concern was the fact that two younglings under his care were attacked.

Unfortunately for the captured bandits, who were being carried off by the reinforcement that Reddenhound had brought with him, the bandits will be facing the full brunt of the elder Dog Demon's wrath once they have safely returned to the castle proper.

"The Gate brought us out here and we were attacked by these men." Harry began, "I want them interrogated. I want to know how many are in their group and how many have infiltrated into the Northern Lands… Find them and remove them from my Lands!"

The soldiers immediately saluted and took their prisoners for questioning. They would carry out their Lord's orders to the letter. They all could sense the wariness in their young Leader, and they did not like it. They loved their new Lord, and whatever grieved their Lord, grieved them as well.

"Are they assassins?" Reddenhound asked as he personally escorted the two teens back to the City Gates.

"_Ii-lus._" Sirius muttered.

A red brow arched in surprise to hear the Hybrid speak. The young _youjin'tores_ rarely spoke to anyone save for his Lord and the young kit-ling, Kisa.

"I don't think they knew who I was." Harry replied. "All they seem to know was that I'm a half-demon and apparently that Sirius is a Hybrid."

"You mean Purists?" Reddenhound asked.

"They seem to be everywhere…" Harry whispered as he subconsciously thought of Voldemort and his merry band of Purist bullshiters. The younger man sighed.

"Hatred is unfortunately a trait shared by all living beings. To have no hate is to have no love, and to have no love is to have no life." Reddenhound sagely stated.

"It doesn't mean I have to like it." Harry childish mumbled.

Reddenhound chuckled lightly at the truth of the statement.

**Translations:**

_**Haita**_** (youma-lingua) - yes**

_**Ii-lus**_** (youma-lingua) - no**

**Jutte - Japanese single handle sai**

_**KATDO **_**(youma-lingua) - Home, place of affection**

_**Nin-nus**_** (youma-lingua) - human**

_**Shih'nus**_** (youma-lingua) - Lord**

_**YOUJIN'TORES **_**(youma-lingua) - Bodyguard**


	22. Chapter 22

_**Chapter 21: **__**A day in the Northern Lands**_

"_**ON'FRAT!!**_" A tiny voice mewed as soon as the petite, lavender-colored creature saw her self-proclaimed older brother. The orphaned kit-ling was so relieved to see her dark brother alive and well, that she forgot his aversion to public display of affection. As soon as she saw him walk through the Palace's main gates with their Lord by his side, she lunged forward and held onto him as if afraid that he may disappear if ever released.

"Kisa?!" Their Lord exclaimed in surprise at her apparent distress.

Kisa felt her dark brother slowly wrap his arms around her slender form, which caused a well of tears to break through. His shy and awkward attempts to calm her were so welcomed and reassuring to her that she continued to hold onto him and cry. She had lost so many in her short life that to lose Sirius now would kill her; regardless of her Lord being there. She had heard dark whispers within the Palace walls that the quiet bodyguard of the Northern Lord was dead… 'Cleansed' of his impurity. The tiny she-demon did not know who spoke those nightmarish words but knew that something had to be done. After hearing these dark whispers, Kisa hurriedly ran to find help. First, she attempted to find her Lord's Retainer, but she could not find the Wind Apparition. Then she sought out for the First General, and she found him; staring off toward the southern borders with a slight frown. Kisa immediately told the First General of the dark whispers against her brother; fearful that the older demon would dismiss her claims, but that did not occur for the First General gave the southern border a final glance and summoned the First Squad to move out to their Lord's aid. And now she clung onto her dark brother while he looked toward his Lord for guidance.

"Sirius, take her to her room. Stay with her." Harry commanded. The young demon Lord knew from experience with his own sisters that the girl would not release her death-like hold until she was calm and felt safe.

Sirius reluctantly obeyed. He was torn between tending to the small girl and his duties to his Lord, but his Lord had commanded, and he would obey.

Harry watched as Sirius disappeared further into the Palace with the quivering she-demon in his arms. Emerald-green eyes suddenly narrowed on Sather Reddenhound, who watched the two orphaned children with concern. It had not dawn on Harry that his General and the First Squad had arrived just shortly after he and Sirius were attacked. At the moment, the young Lord was just relieved to see his General, but now…

"You arrived not long _after_ we were attacked." Harry stated.

"Yes, Milord, young Kisa had informed me that she had heard of tales that Sirius was dead, and I myself felt unease since you had departed." Reddenhound explained; causing Harry to cock his head to the side.

"She heard someone?"

Reddenhound frowned as he remembered the young kit-ling's exact words.

"She heard 'dark whispers', Milord. Her words exactly."

"Hm…" Harry frowned, "_Kaguumb_." Harry's voice became hollow as his wizard and demonic magik worked as one to summon the young Mageling's Shadow.

Reddenhound watched in awe as he witness the elongated shadow rise to form a beautiful pale male with long raven hair and stormy blue eyes. This was the first time that the Blood Hound had seen the Shadow in person. Often the old warrior would just feel the other's presence.

_Kaguumb_ knelt respectfully by Harry's knee while a hand absently began petting the Shadow as one would with a pet.

"There's a threat to my Pack. Find out who and report back to me." Harry commanded.

"As you wish, _Shih'nus_," _Kaguumb_ replied then stated, "Do not forget the witch's Limiter. Her powers are growing faster than even _she_ realizes."

Harry snapped to _Kaguumb_ and quietly asked, "Even you are concerned?"

"Yes."

"Milord?!" Reddenhound gasped in surprise while Harry wore a concerned expression, and the Shadow had slipped back into the shadows.

Harry looked back at his stunned General. The young Lord frowned again at his General's shocked expression.

"Something wrong?"

"Giving a witch a Limiter?!"

Harry's frown deepen. He did not expect his First General to be prejudicial toward witches. After all he himself was a Mageling. If his General was accepting of him because he was the Lord of the Northern Lands but could not accept that he was a magik-wielder then he did not need a General such as that. Harry's eyes narrowed on the suddenly nervous Blood Hound.

Reddenhound quickly understood his folly from his statement. He had not intended to sound so bigotry toward his Lord's action. He cared not if his Lord wanted to give all demons in his region a Limiter, such an act was not uncommon in other regions. However, it was unheard of to have a Limiter commissioned for a human; regardless if the human was a Mageling or not. Harry wore Limiters because his demonic powers were strong and it influenced his Mageling powers. But an ordinary human Mageling required no Limiter. They were not strong enough, at least not powerful enough by demon standards to warrant a Limiter. Thus the Blood Hound's surprise that his Lord would commission a Limiter for a human Mageling, and as the First General frantically explained, Harry slowly relaxed then became embarrassed at his doubt in his General.

"Sorry." Harry softly mumbled as he looked shamefully at his feet.

"Do not be, Milord." Reddenhound reassured his Lord. The older demon was just relieved at his young Master's passionate stand for equality among all. "It is uncommon that a human would be powerful enough to require a Limiter. Mageling or not. I realize that my words could have been said differently, _and_ considering that we have these Purists…"

"Thanks, but I should have more faith and trust in my people. I should start _thinking_ more than just reacting. It…" Harry stopped as he realized that he had almost repeated the same dangerous mistake that had cost him his beloved Godfather. He almost ceased trusting his peers; he almost ceased trusting those that meant to help him. "I'm sorry."

Harry whispered to his First General and quickly left in the same manner as _Kaguumb_ had. Leaving Reddenhound to watch with concern and the urge to punish those that have mistreated the young Lord.

**~*~**

Harry shadow-walked away from painful truths and re-emerged near a local craftsman's hut on the outskirts of the City's borders. It had been extremely painful for the young man to come to grasp with his Godfather's death. As much as he wished to blame a single person for being responsible for Sirius' death, the young man knew that too many were to be blamed; including himself.

True, he blamed Severus for 'probably' not understanding the frantic message Harry had bellowed while being held captive by that damned she-toad. However, if that was truly the case then Harry would not be alive at that moment. True, he blamed Voldemort for hounding him and tormenting him while he slept, but that blame laid also with Harry for failing to see the overall picture. Of course, there was an advantage to seeing into the ol' Fang-face's mind, but only if Harry knew how to control the damned visions. True, he blamed Bella for sending the curse at Sirius, which sent the man through the Veil of Death, but could one truly blame the insane? Harry tried, but he could not seem to hate the insane woman. However, just because he could not hate her, it did not mean that he would not stop her. She was after all insane with no sense of remorse, and she would probably kill again, which was incentive enough for Harry to stop her at all cost. He even blamed Sirius for not taking the fight seriously enough. After all the escaped prisoner did taunt the already volatile witch into attacking. Of course, Sirius did not know that the Veil of Death was behind him, but that was neither here nor there; however, the fact was that Sirius purposively provoked unnecessarily his psychotic cousin into a fight. And in the midst of all the blame there was two people he blamed and could never forgive.

The first person was the Headmaster Dumbledor for all his manipulation and seemingly no regard for his people's safety, and the second was himself for being unable to see beyond the here and now. He had only thought of himself and not once concerned himself with the consequences of his actions, especially his anger. In retrospect, Harry was surprised to see so many witches and wizards still believed in him and still wanted to follow him. A heavy sigh escaped out of Harry's suddenly wary form.

"_Shih'nus_." A gruff voice called startling the young Lord.

Turning around, Harry quickly noted that he had just walked past the Craftsman's hut. Harry's cheeks suddenly bore a striking resemblance to cherries as he sheepishly mumbled an apology and shuffled nervously on his feet.

The Craftsman, Thespeus, was surprised to see his Great Lord. He was even more surprised to see his Lord so deep in though that he simply walked by. It took the Craftsman Master a few calls to arouse the young Lord from thought, and it amused the minotaur demon that his Lord would apologize to him for being so deep in thought. Shifting from hoof to hoof, Thespeus's bull tail twitched in amusement as he clamped a large meaty hand on the younger's shoulder.

"Be not shameful of inner thoughts for they are important in value of one's worth." Thespeus replied.

Harry looked for a moment at charcoal black eyes that belonged to Thespeus. At times, the young demon could understand the minatour's odd speech, but other times, it just simply went over the teen's head. Fortunately this time, Harry understood the older demon's comment. Harry gave the elder a small smile.

"Thank you, Thespeus, that means a lot." Harry answered.

"Think nothing of it, but come. What brings you to this old Craftsman when clearly your thoughts were elsewhere?"

Harry's smile grew larger.

"I humbly request a Commission."

That caused Thespeus to look at his Lord in utter shock. His Lord needed not to make a request from him, and yet he did.

"My most gracious Lord, there be no need of you to request my services. I am yours to command. My skills are at your whims." Thespeus stated.

Harry gave the older demon a look of pure horror. It went against Harry's nature to just demand something from someone out of a whim. Harry could never simply just demand anyone to do anything, unless it served a purpose; such as finding those damned Purists plaguing his Lands. To demand such superficial things, in Harry's mind, was akin to robbing a person of their free-will, and that would make him no better than the undead _yathus_ and the Headmaster. Harry violently shook his head, which bemused the elder demon.

"You are a Master of your craft. I cannot command you to my needs when others have precedence and have asked for your skills before I did." Harry exclaimed. Harry believed in fairness, especially since he was robbed of such opportunity. If others came before him with request of Thespeus' skills then they took priority. True, Harry would like to have the Limiter as soon as possible, but even he could understand that smelting a Limiter took time and patience. After all, the Limiters that the young Lord were currently wearing took nearly two months to smelt and that was _after_ what seemed like a thousand attempts to find the right portions needed to smelt his Limiters! Thus the reason why Thespeus was considered to be a Master because he had the patience to continue making the Limiters.

"Very well, my humble Majesty, speak your request."

"I wish to commission a Limiter for a friend." Harry replied as he removed the precious vial that survived his earlier scuffle.

Thespeus eyed the vial curiously for it did not look like demon blood. It was too bright to be of demonic origin. Demon blood was a deep shade of burgundy that it was often confused with being black. Thespeus gently sniffed the air and scented the subtle tang of earth; the common baseline scent for humans. Thespeus could also scent another scent within the bright blood that reminded the old demon of ancient powers almost forgotten even among demon kind.

"The blood is human."

"Yeah," Harry remarked nonchalantly, "Luna really needs a Limiter. You see, she has this third eye ---"

"A Third Eye?!" Thespeus interrupted, "Are you certain?!"

"Yes," Harry cautiously answered.

"Oh sweet _H'phstuse_! A _Shiv'n_! Among humans!" Thespeus praised to the heavens; again startling Harry.

"I take it that having a third eye is a good thing." Harry remarked with heavy wariness lacing in his tone.

The older demon paused. Harry watched in confusion as the great beast-demon held onto the vial with tender-loving care.

"My young Lord, it is the sign of _Shiv'_ favor! The favor from the Holiest of Holy Demon-Gods! It is not a 'good thing'. It is a blessing!"

Harry's eyes widen in shock and awe. In shock at the level of reverence that laced Thespeus' voice. Slowly Harry regained his composure and gave a small smile. _Luna would like that, but first, lets do some research about this Shiv' thing before telling her!_ Harry thought to himself.

"I am honored!" Thespeus was so profound with his words that Harry did not doubt that the old Bull demon would take great care in making the perfect Limiter for Luna. Harry was relieved and pleased.

**~*~**

"How is she?" Harry asked once he entered the she-demon's room.

Kisa still clung onto her adoptive older brother for dear life, but she did look a bit calmer. Sirius was sitting in the middle of the bed while a steady hand rubbed circles on her slender back. The slow and methodical movements were lulling the lavender child into a light sleep.

"She is calm." Sirius replied.

Harry grinned as he joined the odd siblings. Kisa's slender tail twitched then laid peacefully on Harry's thigh. Harry slowly leaned forward and ran his fingers through her thick locks. A sleepy pale eye opened to see who was caressing her hair then closed again as a content sign escaped her tiny body. Harry's grin grew into a smile then he looked at his best friend and Brother in All but Blood.

"How are you?" Harry asked Sirius.

"Well." Sirius replied.

"Liar." Harry mumbled, but he knew Sirius well enough not to push the subject.

Sirius just stared at his Lord and Friend.

"Thespeus has accepted your request." Sirius stated rather than asked.

"Yeah…" Harry trailed off while he thought about the Minotaur demon's reaction to Luna's third eye, "Hey, Siri, what do you know about Shiv'n?"

Sirius straighten at Harry's question; causing Kisa to stir and listen briefly before falling back to sleep.

"They are sacred. They are blessed by Shiv', the highest of demonic divinity." Sirius replied. While he himself did not believe in the divinity, Sirius knew enough that any claiming to be a Shiv'n was probably a false one. "A Shiv'n was blessed by the holiest of all the demonic gods, Shiv', with extraordinary powers, which were focused into a third eye for control. It was rumored that Shiv'n had unbelievable mental powers, ranging from telepathy to telekinesis. It was also rumored that Shiv'n's eye allowed a Shiv'n to see the truth, the secrets and the future. It was because of their powers that many Shiv'ns were hunted down, enslaved or even worse… Their eye removed, which killed the Shiv'n."

Harry's eyes widen in shock and fear for his pack-mate.

"Is there any way for them to protect themselves?"

"Hn. They are powerful. They do well." Sirius replied then asked. "Why do you ask of them?"

"Luna has a Third Eye." Harry answered.

Crimson pools widen in pure shock.

"A human Shiv'n?!" Sirius asked in utter disbelief.

"Dunno. Gonna look into it to be sure, and if that's the case, we can probably find some help for her besides a Limiter."

"Hn."

Harry smiled.

"Come. We need to go speak with the Council before dawn." Harry commented.

Sirius nodded as he gently freed himself from Kisa. The stoic Fire and Ice Child gently tucked the sleeping she-demon and followed his Lord but not without a final look at the sleeping girl.

**~*~**

"First of all, thank you for responding to my Summons so quickly." Harry respectfully bowed before his Council, who were still unaccustomed to such actions.

"We were most anxious to hear of you return. We were even more anxious when we heard of dark whispers…" One of the Elders replied as she leaned forward to ensure with her own eyes that indeed her Lord and his friend were without injury.

Harry smiled appreciatively at the Elder's words. He knew that his Council held no high regard for his human school, especially with an inept Headmaster such as Dumbledor. One of his Council Elders was once a Headmaster of the Mylinshyn Tower, one of the foremost known academies for Mages in all of _Ma-Terrarum_, and Harry's current tutor in his magik's studies.

"It was an interesting return." Harry worded carefully. His Council gave him dubiously glares. They all had heard of the attack on him and Sirius. They had even heard that the Portal Gate had transported them beyond the City Gates. It was a continuous occurrence that made the Council nervous and Erowyn, the creator of the Portal Gate, extremely annoyed. Once refreshments were served, Harry began into his tale of what he remembered prior to his 'abduction', for the lack of a better term. With much reluctance, Sirius took over the explanation of what happened during the Welcoming Feast. Harry was appalled to hear that the Headmaster had sorted the First Years himself.

Harry even questioned Sirius on exactly how the Headmaster did the sorting, what were his methods… Sirius could see a level of fear and concern in his Lord's eyes when the other teen asked. The Council were startled by the level of fear and concern in their Lord's eyes. Sirius obeyed his Lord and told his Friend and Lord in extreme detail.

"**THAT SON OF A BITCH!!!!**" Harry roared as he stood to his feet. His magik came alive around him in response to his anger. The Shadows too came alive and danced around the council chamber, seeking the object of its Master's rage.

The Council Elders remained completely still as they watched with nervous concern at the violent display of power. Sirius, however, was calm as ever. He may not know what had caused his Lord to loose control but knew that once calmed down, his Lord would explain his ire and then all would most likely share in their Lord's rage. Sirius patiently took a sip of his tea then looked at his Lord.

Harry could feel the anger swelling up within him. He knew that if he did not expel the anger and calm down then the Council Chamber and all those within could be harmed. Instinctively his hand fisted, his arm cocked back and his fist slammed into the large, marble council table. An audible crack echoed through the chamber and reverberated down the corridor.

Silence enveloped the chamber before a hard panting echoed through the room.

"Milord..?" A Council Elder quietly called.

"That bastard used Occlumency on children! On Younglings! That bastard!!!!!!!!" Harry roared again as he slammed his fist again and again into the broken marble table.

"Harry." Sirius' soft voice broke into Harry's ranting.

"Occlumency on Younglings!!! On Youngling!!!" Harry cried as he looked at his Friend, "Occlumency!!!"

Sirius tilted his head to the side. Suddenly Harry sighed. He knew that tilt. It meant that Sirius did not understand what he was saying. The young Lord looked at the abused table then unceremoniously slummed back into his seat.

"Occlumency is a form of mind reading ability…" Harry whispered but knew his Council and his Friend heard him. The heavy and deathly silence was evident that they heard.

**Translations:**

_**H'phstuse**_** - Demonic God of Blacksmiths**

_**Kaguumb**_** (youma-lingua) - shadow**

_**ON'FRAT**_** (youma-lingua) - older brother**

_**Shih'nus**_** (youma-lingua) - Lord**

_**Shiv'**_** - Holy Demonic God**

_**Shiv'n**_** - Chosen Childe of Shiv**

_**yathus**_** (youma-lingua) - bastard**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 22: **_**Tag! You're it!**_

"Do you think Kisa will be fine?" Harry asked as the duo walked through the Portal vortex.

Sirius took a shy glance over his shoulder as he thought over his Lord's question. Sirius had always been a demon of honor, duty and responsibilities; even in his old life as a mercenary and Nanemo. He still was and yet he was in conflict in his honor, duties and responsibilities. Now, he had a good Master, who also called him Brother, and he had a family, albeit Kisa and he were not of blood, but they were family nonetheless. His honor, duty and responsibility told him to stay by his Lord and to stay by his sister's side.

"Sirius." Harry whispered as he placed a gentle hand on the other demon's shoulder.

"She is strong and will understand." Sirius finally replied.

"Don't worry. Soon, you'll have an entire week to be by her side." Harry replied with a lop-sided grin.

Sirius' ruby eyes bore into his Master and Friend's eyes with an arched brow.

"This was what Erowyn and I was working on before we left." Harry began as they walked through the Forbidden Forest. Harry explained to his ever-listening bodyguard that they would exist one week at Hogwarts; allowing Harry to fulfill the Wizarding World's expectations as the Boy-Who-Lived, then they would repeat the week in _Ma-Terrarum_; allowing Harry the freedom to live, learn and grow. It never ceased to amaze the young Lord that he could have the freedom to grow. He gained the ability to be himself and not some icon. _Perhaps,_ Harry mused, _it had to do with the fact the Demons don't believe in Light and Dark Magik in the same way as humans do. Demons believe in Chaos, Neutral and Order._ To Harry that made sense because even Nature followed those three principles. Nature was Chaos. Nature was Neutral, and Nature was Order.

Sirius listened intently; knowing the other youth was trying to sort out his chaotic thoughts. Sirius discovered early in their friendship that the other teen would verbally discuss his opinions and thoughts on a subject before coming to a conclusion, and it often fell on the stoic half-breed to remind the young demon Lord of where his thoughts began. Sirius found it amazing at the seemingly randomness of his Lord's thoughts and yet there was some semblance of order in them. Suddenly his Lord was going off the point, and he was about to remind his Friend of their original conversation when a foul earthly odor infiltrated the moist, woodsy scent of the forest.

The two demons paused in their stride as their sensitive noses picked up the direction of the foul odor.

"Just great." Harry mumbled, "If it isn't one thing then it's another."

Sirius arched a brow.

"We've been watched by some of the forest's locals since we've set foot in the forest." Harry explained while eyes and ears listened and watched for other signs of danger.

Sirius stiffened. How was it that his Lord could sense that they were being watched when he had not.

Harry saw Sirius' reaction then smiled.

"Dunno how to explain it, but I always could sense when I'm being watched… It's kinda like… Kinda like a new shadow-ling reaching out to me when it's first formed… Wanting to reconnect with me… S'rry not making any sense, am I?" Harry gave an apologetic grin.

Actually to Sirius it did. It meant that on a subconscious level prior to Harry's actual inheritance, Harry's demonic aura was reaching out to protect Harry in a way that was expected of a Shadow Hound. It made perfect sense to Sirius and made him wonder about how powerful _was _his Lord. As Sirius reached out to assure his confused Lord, the forest became silent and the earth trembled. Sirius tensed at the unknown foe, whose footsteps caused the earth to shake. Alert ears twitched at each thunderous step. Suddenly the night sky was blocked by a large silhouette of a creature. Ruby orbs followed the shadowy figure's form high up until crimson glared into twin pools of murky brown eyes. Every muscle and fiber tensed and screamed in readiness while sensitive nose picked up the hot, moist scent of overturned earth and decayed, raw meat. This creature loomed over the pair with its head tilted to the side as if confused at what it saw. Sirius would have sworn he saw a hint of recognition in the giant creature's eyes but that could not be possible unless…

"'Arrie?" The creature's voice vibrated through Sirius' tense form.

A sheepish grin graced Harry's face as he slowly looked up and up and up and up until the demon Lord made eye contact with the toddler giant.

"Grawp!" Harry bellowed to be heard.

"'Arrie-Uppee!" Grawp clapped as he hopped from foot to foot.

The young giant's excitement shook the ground, startled all forms of life from the safety of their homes but not the demonic duo, who remain steady and regal as any pair of warriors. Then suddenly with speed that belied the giant-child's girth and awkwardness, Grawp lunged for his little friend. Large meaty hands grabbed for the small duo. Grawp made a loose fist and broke into a childish grin as he brought his hand close. Like any child with a secret, Grawp peeked into his loose hands. But slowly the monstrous, innocent grin faded to a frown. Opening his hand, Grawp only found earth and foliage. Little eyes looked up and around. A small glow of red and pale blue light caught the giant-child's attention. Perched on a tree branch clear across the little clearing was the Other One, the one with 'Arrie-Uppee.

"'Ittee? 'Ittee! 'Ittee!" Grawp giggled as he ran for the 'ittee.

Grawp almost reached the still 'ittee when he suddenly stopped and crossed his eyes to see a funny looking thing too close to his face. The funny looking thing growled; not meanly like the others far away had done but not nicely either.

"Grawp. Stop."

"'Arrie-Uppee..?"

"Yes, Grawp. Harry."

A large toothy grin broke out. Grawp felt silly for being scared of the funny looking thing. The funny looking thing was 'Arrie-Uppee and 'Arrie-Uppee was good. Like the pretty trees were good.

"Play?" Grawp asked.

||:Lord, what is he? Is he oni?:|| Sirius asked from his perch with a globe of his elements within each hand as he eyed the strange creature.

Harry tilted his head back to look at his friend and bodyguard. A frown marred his face as he tried to translate 'oni' but no definite definition entered his mind.

"'Arrie-Uppee!" Grawp squeaked then made for the upside down teen but managed only to smack himself.

Grawp was startled by the sudden disappearance and smack that he fell down. The action shook the forest and startled the wildlife from their roosts once more. Blinking owlishly, Grawp looked wildly for the elusive friend. Then he looked down on his knee then gave out a high-pitched squeal as he bounced in his seat.

"'Arrie-Uppee!" Grawp clapped in childish delight.

"Grawp! **STOP!**" Harry roared, which caused the child-giant to stop. Harry sighed in relief now that the earth and giant stopped shaking.

"'Arrie-'end?' Grawp asked uncertainly.

The uncertainly and loneliness was evident in the giant's voice that it tugged at Harry's instincts. A member of his Territory was in pain. Out of instinct Harry held a hand out toward the massive being. Harry encouragingly smiled as he saw Grawp smile and jabbed a meaty finger into Harry's palm. _Apparently Hagrid taught him the concept of a handshake._ Harry thought bemusedly.

"Friend." Harry said clearly and with conviction. The young demon Lord then motioned for Sirius over, who obeyed albeit a bit reluctantly. Harry still had a hold of Grawp's man-size finger when Sirius approached. With his free-hand, Harry gently reached for Sirius' hand and placed Grawp's finger in it.

"Friend. _Tom'ducus_." Harry said again both in English and in demon Tongue.

"'End!!" Grawp cheered as he shook his finger vigorously.

Harry had to stifle a laugh at poor Sirius' expense, who now held onto the offensive finger for dear life. Grawp suddenly lifted his hand up; leaving the poor, shaken hybrid demon dangling. Grawp then crossed his eyes to gain a better view of the dangling demon. Now, poor Harry laughed uncontrollable at the oddly comical sight of Sirius hanging there by one hand on Grawp's meaty finger. He could not help it. He knew he should not have.

Suddenly a cold shiver befell over Harry that he immediately looked up at Sirius, the half Ice demon. Sometime during his undignified lapse into silliness, Harry failed to notice that Sirius had righted himself on Grawp's hand and bore an impish glean in his ruby eyes.

_Ah… Shite…_ Harry thought. He had never seen such a deadly, playful expression on the other teen, with due reason because a demon's concept of play was akin to Hagrid's idea of cute and cuddly pets. Still sitting where he had unceremoniously fell, Harry felt his muscle tense up in anticipation…

Unfortunately Sirius was faster than Harry's Seeker-reflexes.

"Oopf!" Harry was tackled onto the ground; however, Sirius had leapt off of Harry and stood safely away from his Lord and Master. Harry rolled over to see Sirius poised and ready. Harry quickly crouched onto his feet and was about to lunge forward when he paused. From the corner of his eye, Harry noted Grawp's boulder thick leg and suddenly remembered the loneliness in the child-giant's voice. Noting again Sirius' deadly impish glint, inspiration came to Harry, who slowly rose to his feet and calmly walked to the giant's thigh.

Without reservation of checking his strength, Harry slapped the thigh, causing the giant to gasp in surprise. Harry then turned to face Grawp; unbeknownst to himself, he bore the same deadly impish glint in his eyes.

"**TAG! YOU'RE IT!**" Harry roared then ran.

He ran past Sirius, who was perplexed by the sudden charge, but quickly recovered when he heard the child-oni squeal and clamber to its feet and began to chase after both the dog and fox-cat half-breed demons.

The forest that evening and many nights afterwards were and would be filled with laughter as two dangerous creatures forgot, who they were and their responsibilities, and simply acted like children.

**Translations:**

**Nanemo - No Name**

**Oni (Japanese) - Ogre**

_**Tom'ducus**_** (youma-lingua) - Friend**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 23: **_**Normal is Boring…**_

The hot water cascaded down his entire body. The high-pressured water massaged his sore body as he relaxed underneath the artificial waterfall. At the moment, there was nowhere else he rather be than right there. It was extremely late or early; depending on how one looked at it, when Harry and Sirius returned from the Forbidden Forest. They had played tag with the baby giant, Grawp, for nearly four hours! They would have continued if it were not the fact that the baby giant had fallen asleep on them! Harry and Sirius were both extremely surprised that they had worn the child-giant out! With a goofy grin and an arm draped over Sirius' shoulder, Harry guided his demonic brother back to the castle for a much needed and much deserved shower, which was their current state now.

||:Lord.:|| Sirius called; breaking Harry's moment of peace.

"Hm?"

||:What of the traitor? How shall we proceed with his deception? He had not only deceived you, but he also abused the boy's innocence… A crime I cannot ignore.:|| Sirius stated as he observed his Lord, who proceeded to wash himself.

Harry heard his brother's words and wondered himself on how he should deal with Ron's treachery. Harry knew he could forgive Ron's betrayal against him; however, like Sirius, he could not forgive Ron for using Colin as he had. But could he deal with Ron on his own? The former friend was still Ginny's brother despite her claims of revoking his position as such via magik, Harry recognized her claim, but was uncertain on how the rest of the Wizarding World would view it, and any action that the young wizard would take against the red-head would be scrutinized as mere and petty, which would bring down the blood-sucking vultures known as reporters upon him. Something he wanted to avoid at all cost. However, he could not let this slide.

||:We'll inform Gin of what we learned. She's more versed in Wizarding culture than I am. She would know what to do.:||

||: Hn… Lady Haijime will not be pleased with the traitor.:||

||:No, she won't be, but we're going to need to stress the importance that what we want is justice for the abuse that Colin unwittingly suffered.:|| Harry replied, ||:Agreed?:||

||:Agreed.:||

||:Good! Now, let's get some sleep!:|| Harry chuckled.

"Hn." Sirius replied.

**~*~**

Harry had no need for light in the dark room. His demonic sight took the little light that shone through via the moon and the stars and amplified it by ten-fold. Standing in the threshold, Harry frowned to discover that the room was not the same room that he had ventured in earlier with Colin. It was in fact the Sixth Year's boy's dorm room. The young man could feel his demonic blood revolting at the idea of sharing the room with his other year mates, and Harry knew why. He was the Alpha. They were not, and equally important was the fact that they were not Pack. He wondered if he could find that room again but decided against it for the night. It was too late or too early to be seeking out the mysterious room.

With a glance to Sirius, who was perched on the Lord's shoulder in his feline form, Harry sighed as he quietly strolled to his bed. He might as well get a bit of meditation done and perhaps see what the undead _yathus_ was doing. Ever since the failed assault on Frijj's House, good ol' Voldie had been keeping relatively quiet. Only causing a small amount of trouble, which were also stopped from escalating by Harry's Shadows.

Although _Kaguumb_'s powers were great, there still was a limit to it. Often times the Shadows' primary function was to protect the innocent from harm by evacuating them and if possible detain the Death Eaters for either the Order or the Auror to apprehend. However, much to Harry's displeasure, any Death Eater apprehended by the Order often times were released because they held no 'valuable' information, and those said valueless Death Eaters would scamper away back to the undead parasite to report what they saw and heard. There have been a few occasions when Harry had to save Order members and their families from retaliation by the merry band of Necros, which gave _both _world-domination-seeking _yathus_ the delusion that Harry's Shadows were allied with the Order. Fortunately that delusion was quickly dispelled when the Shadows saved a number of innocent family members of Death Eaters from both Auror and Order retaliation.

_I serve no one but the innocent._ Harry thought as he pulled back his bed curtain only to pause and become still as stone.

Laying there in the middle of his bed was a beautiful little creature. It was obvious that the sleeping thing was a girl since she was missing a certain piece of anatomy to be a boy. How did Harry know this? Quite simple, it was because the sleeping girl was stark naked… Her skin was pale with a faint touch of a fading tan. Her hair was a dark shade of brown with faint hues of red and was long. Her lips were full and slightly open, which released an extremely soft hissing sound as she exhaled. She had surprisingly a flat nose; not flat like Cho's nose nor like Jordan Lee's but akin to an Italian descendent… Harry did not know why, but he thought the little girl, who looked no older than six years old, bared a striking resemblance to his Severus.

Quietly closing the bed curtain, Harry turned around and immediately walked to Neville's bed, which was the third bed away from his own. Sirius immediately jumped from his perch and came up to the sleeping brunette. He then gently butted beneath Neville's chin, which stirred said brunette a bit. Immediately the cat shape-shifter proceeded to nuzzle at the wizard's exposed throat; giving the smooth, soft flesh light laps and nibs. An unintentional moan escaped the boy's throat; delighting the demon into purring.

Harry cleared his throat; earning him a nasty glare from Sirius, who knew that the _nin-nus_ he was being affectionate to was waking up. Harry mouthed his apologies to his brother as he leaned over Neville. Seeing how Sirius behaved around the timid brunette, Harry would have let the two be, but at the moment, they had a slight situation at hand.

"Mm… Harry?" Neville mumbled as he made out the bright emerald-green orbs staring at him from the dark.

"Shh…" Harry gently shushed the still groggy teen.

Without conscious intention, Neville automatically collected Sirius into his arms while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Harry grinned knowingly while Sirius shot his Lord a warning glare.

"What time is it?" Neville whispered.

"Depends…" Harry cryptically answered, "But that doesn't matter… Come with me."

Neville quietly obeyed and followed Harry back to his bed. Neville stared at his friend in confusion. Harry then opened his bed curtain again and stepped slightly aside for his pack-mate to see. Curious Neville looked into Harry's bed and gasped. Fortunately Harry's hand clamped down on Neville's mouth; effectively keeping Neville's gasp from waking the other boys up. Harry was not taking any chance of them coming to a wrong conclusion. Neville eventually tugged at Harry's hand, which the raven-haired teen allowed.

"What's a girl doing in your bed?!" Neville's whisper was more like a hiss.

"She's not a first year?" Harry asked. Although the girl looked to be six, Harry knew looks could be deceiving. _Look at Sirius' for Pete's Sake! He looks my age but really is old enough to be my dad!_ Harry thought; giving no never mind with the fact that Sirius was a _demon_, and by demon standards, Sirius _was_ Harry's age.

"No, I don't recognize her… Plus, isn't she a little young to be a First Year?" Neville asked then placed Sirius down as he proceeded to remove his shirt to cover the little girl up.

She grunted a bit but did not wake.

Harry raked a hand through his hair as he thought about what to do.

"Why can't my life be normal?" Harry asked.

"Because normal is boring..?" Neville supplied hopefully.

Harry gave the nervous teen a deadpan look.

"Sorry…"

"Don't worry about it." Harry sighed, "It's only the truth."

Neville gave his friend a sympathetic smile.

"But what are we to do with her?" Harry asked as he nodded his head toward the girl's direction.

"I don't know…" Neville whispered back as he sat on Harry's bed and a hand casually played through the girl's locks.

Harry just watched as the timid brunette easily assumed the role of the Delta, the Caregiver. As Harry understood it, a pack had a hierarchy. The Alphas were the Leaders. The Betas were the Second-in-Command, and the Deltas were the Caregivers. Each member of the Pack had a responsibility based on their rank. It was obvious that Harry was the Alpha, which even Moony submitted to.

Harry mentally winced at the memory of that fight and near panic in Remus' eyes when he realized that he had bitten his own unofficial godson. It was then and there that Harry had to reveal his demonic heritage to the near suicidal werewolf to assure the last remaining link to his parents that Harry was in fact fine. Harry's demonic healing abilities obliterated the dark lycanthropy disease as if it was nothing more than the common flu.

Once Remus was assured that Harry was not inflicted with the disease, the older man proceeded to lecture the teen for giving him such a fright. Harry laughed and assured his unofficial godfather to never do that again. Remus, relieved and most of all stunned by the fact that his cub was in fact a pup, then proceeded to warn the child wizard of the prejudice toward those with inhuman blood coursing through their veins. Curious about his godfather's warning, the duo spent many hours and days discussing the prejudice of the Wizarding World. Apparently the idea of a pureblood stemmed far beyond to just being a wizard from a purely Wizarding family but also being purely human.

"Harry?" Neville's voice brought Harry back to the present.

"Hm? Sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if you want me to wake her up?"

"_Haita_…" Harry grimaced, "I mean yes."

"High-tah means yes?" Neville asked at which Harry nodded. The shy brunette gave his classmate a slight nod then gently shook the sleeping child's shoulder.

"Hey, sweetie," Neville gently whispered in a tone akin to a parent waking their child from a deep slumber, "come on, time to wake up. Come on…"

Slowly the little girl shifted. Her face wrinkled in protest at being woken up but eventually stilled as almond-shaped eyes opened to reveal a pair of orbs that were the deepest shade of chocolate brown. Again Harry could not shake the similarities between this mysterious girl and his Severus. The demonic teen discretely sniffed the air to catch the girl's scent. He immediately identified Sirius' and Neville's unique scents but frowned when he could not distinguish the girl's scent. All he could scent was the unique aromas and odors that he had long ago associated with Hogwarts itself.

Those deep, deep brown orbs flittered about; not focusing on one thing until they fell upon Harry. They grew wide in childish delight while a bright smile broke out on her face. Harry looked startled, but before he could ask the little girl a question, a squeal of happiness erupted from her.

Harry winced at the pitch and failed to notice that the mysterious girl had scrambled to her feet and lunged toward him. It was mostly due to his Seeker-reflexes and his demonic heritage that he managed to catch the little girl before they both tumbled onto the stone ground.

"Oopf!"

"Harry!"

"**MASTER!**"

**Translations:**

_**Haita **_**(youma-lingua) - yes**

_**nin-nus**_** (youma-lingua) - human**

_**yathus**_** (youma-lingua) - bastard**


	25. Chapter 25

_**Chapter 24: **__**The Battle within the Lion's Den**_

"Mr. Potter!" McGonagall screeched as she glared at the young man before her.

The commotion between Harry, Neville and the mysterious girl caused the rest of the boys in the Sixth Year dorm to wake up. As soon as they saw the small brunette girl clutching onto Harry for dear life, they began asking questions, but with each question, they became louder and louder just to be heard over one another, which in turn woke the rest of the boys' dorm. It was a never-ending cycle of questions and shouts until one boy randomly asked why the little girl had no panties on. There was a moment of silence before a new wave of shouting started; namely by the Third Years and older boys, who followed the lead of a certain vindictive redhead. The younger ones were thankfully still too innocent to understand what the older ones were accusing Harry of. The boys' vicious shouting had also woken the girls up, who one of them had enough sense to fetch their Head of House, but the boys' shouting was frightening the little brunette girl, who was hiding behind Harry.

Neville stood by Harry; giving him his support, while the raven-haired teen took the accusations stoically as if not hearing them and staring coldly at his accuser. Although Neville was in a similar state of undress as Harry, which seemed to have inspired some of the more outlandish accusations, it surprised the timid wizard that all the accusations were directed at Harry alone. It was as if they did not see Neville at all. This sadden the teen a bit but soon felt a soothing purr in his ear. The quiet wizard smiled at Sirius, who was perched on his shoulder. Then he felt tiny hands grab onto his night trousers. Looking down, Neville was surprised to see the little brunette holding onto him. _Wait, wasn't she holding onto… _

"_**HARRY!**_"

Neville looked up in time to see Professor McGonagall raise a hand against Harry.

Sirius glowed hotly at the old hag for laying a hand on his Lord.

Silence permeated the air. No one was expecting the usually stoic witch to lose her cool and yet she did. She had heard the shouted accusations and could not believe that one of _her_ students would so such a thing… Least of all Harry Potter!

"How could you?!" She demanded.

"**DON'T TOUCH MASTER AND LORD GRYFFINDOR!**" The little girl's voice boomed like thunder throughout the entire castle despite her diminutive size.

The castle shook violently at its foundation in tune with the girl's trembling rage.

The students scrambled and screamed; fearing the castle would collapse on top of them. The muggleborn students immediately ran for doorways, between furniture, anything they could remember from their primary school about earthquakes, even though they knew that England was not known for violent earthquakes. The magical-born students, however, did not fare well as they screamed and scrambled to be anywhere but the Common Room.

Surprisingly Harry and Neville were unaffected by the tremors that ripped through the castle as the little girl continued shouting at McGonagall. Ginny and Hermione, seeing the boys were standing still and unaffected by the quakes, rushed to their side and breathed a sigh of relief. The girls themselves were about to ask their own questions when the portrait-door violently swung open to reveal the Headmaster and other professors, all of whom were unsteady on their feet.

"**ENOUGH!**" The Headmaster roared; effectively silencing the screaming students, who upon seeing the sage Leader of the Light believed they were saved.

The little girl too fell silent when she heard the old man's command. She looked at him, and he at her with barely contained rage in his electric blue orbs. Her eyes grew wide in horrified recognition then she let loose a scream of pure terror and immediately barreled into the nearest and safest thing around… namely Harry, who this time saw her coming. He gathered the frighten child into his arms; noting that the castle had stopped shaking but the air itself held a frightening chill that he could only described as fear and hopelessness. He was clearly confused as to why the little girl was scared of the old, decrepit man. It was quite obvious that she was far more powerful than the old, decaying _yathus_; considering her accidental magik had caused the castle to shake. As Harry attempted to calm the girl down, his Deltas also reached out to calm the frighten thing. The Alpha smiled gratefully at Neville and Hermione.

"What is the meaning of this?!" The Headmaster demanded; not pleased that his perfect little world was seemingly falling apart.

However, no one answered. Many were stunned to see the little girl running to Harry after seeing the Headmaster. All were afraid of the angry patriarch of the Light Side for they had never seen the benevolent Headmaster so angry; not even when the Dementors were on the campus grounds.

"Minerva!" The old wizard snapped.

McGonagall did not know what to say. She was a bit fearful to answer, but most of all she was also confused by the little girl's reaction. Why would the little girl run to her abuser, and not to the one who could save her?

"I-I don't know…" She confessed then began to ramble about being woken up by one of her students, and when she arrived, she saw the little girl that Harry was trying to hide then she heard what the boy had done to the small child. The faculty gasped in horror as they looked upon their Savior with thinly concealed disgust.

The Headmaster's eyes widen as eyebrows rose high into his hairline. His manipulative mind began formulating possibilities of using this information to submit the boy to his will, or at least bind the boy as his ward.

"That's ridiculous!" A voice drawled in rage.

Severus pushed his way through the crowd and glared viciously at his former teacher.

"Have you lost what little sense that God gave you?!" Severus growled, "You _actually_ believed that Potter could commit such a heinous act?! And to a child?!"

Severus' fist were clutched so tightly that his knuckles were white as bone and his nails digging deeply into his palms. However, he was oblivious to it all as he tried to contain his anger at what was happening. How could anyone make such an accusation, and make it towards Harry? And most of all how could anyone believe such blatantly false accusations, especially with no proof?! Severus trembled with hot rage; unaware that his magik was humming to the surface and was visible as a faint silvery-opal hue against his pale skin.

"_Ehwu tjiesskit mehe, IX."_

Suddenly a mop of brown hair shot up; colliding with Harry's chin; however, only Harry was effected by the collision as he saw little stars dancing in his vision.

"**LORD AND MASTER SLYTHERIN!**" The girl squealed happily; startling everyone into silence again, including the Headmaster as he eyed his slave suspiciously.

Severus snapped around and faced Harry, who held the small girl in his arms and rotating his jaw. A breath lodge itself in his throat as his eyes grew wide at the sight of the petite thing who held its arms out to him.

"Evie..?" Severus' voice was pained and barely audible to all, save for Harry.

Harry glanced between the little girl and his Severus. _They know each other?_ Harry mentally asked. He gently placed her down. As soon as her bare feet touched the cold stone, she barreled into Severus' strong chest. Harry tensed as he expected the taller wizard to fall back with the girl in his arms as Harry had done, but it was immediately apparent that the dark wizard was accustom to being barreled into.

Severus instinctually dropped to one knee. Equal level to the little girl. The older man then scooped the tiny bundle of energy and rose to his feet with precision that suggested years of practice. The little girl wrapped her limbs around Severus' torso and buried her face into the nook of his neck. Severus was stunned as he held onto the young child. She felt warm and solid as any living being but it could not be _her_… It was impossible for it to be _her_, for it to be _her _at this age. Was this some cruel joke played on him by his cruel master? A new tactic to keep him enslaved to the elder wizard? Severus did not know, but he was outraged that whatever it was had taken _her_ face as its own. Before Severus could denounce the creature in his arms, the Headmaster spoke; scaring the strange, little doppelganger into seeking further safety in his arms.

"What is meaning of this!" Dumbledor demanded once again. His magik rising with his ire.

Harry growled at the threat that underlined the Headmaster's tone. /_How dare the inferior wizard threaten him and his in his Territory?!_/ The inner beast growled. Harry moved toward Severus and the mysterious 'Evie'. He paused. Uncertain why, but he could smell Severus' anger; it was a strange spice the younger had scented once before but could not remember its name. It was subtle, strong and spicy. But why was his Severus angry? Was Severus angry at the Headmaster, the situation or perhaps the little girl?

"I hate meanie-head!" The girl sobbed into Severus' chest, "Meanie-head hurt me! Please, make meanie-head go away!"

Harry openly growled as his eyes flashed dangerously at the Headmaster. It was obvious who 'meanie-head' was by her reactions. The beast within roared at the idea that a pup in its territory was harmed, and the human within was equally angered that such an abuse occurred to a small child by someone who was suppose to protect her.

Severus reacted with similar anger. He may be angry that the creature bore _her_ face, but he was doubly angry that anyone would harm her. Despite the creature's creation, it was still a child, and the fastest way to meet one's end by Severus' blade was to mention 'child abuse' and point out the perpetrator in his presence.

"Please, Masters! Please, Lords! Make meanie-head go away! I be good! I promise! I be good! I promise!" The girl's eyes were large in sincerity and watery from tears.

_With pleasure!_ Harry growled as he attempted to move forward.

"A trick by the Dark Lord!" Someone shouted from a safe distance beyond the center of the Common Room, which naturally caused a chain reaction of commotion and chaos.

It was just the form of chaos, which Dumbledor knew best on how to exploit. He had not liked how the little monster had easily manipulated his pawn and slave to turn on _him, _the Greatest Wizard of All Time!! Dumbledor had thought that his slave would turn on the creature since it bore a striking resemblance to his slave's dearly departed sister, but apparently the monster knew how to pull at his slave's heart and morality. Dumbledor made a-side note to remove that heart and morality from his slave, once and for all. As for his 'Golden Goose', Dumbledor belittled himself for not realizing that the brat would side with the little monster. _After all abused children tend to stick together,_ was Dumbledor's rationale, _However, the little beast had yet to learn the true meaning of abuse and pain!_

Dumbledor sized his two opponents up. He knew he could easily defeat the brat for the boy was undisciplined in the arts of dueling; however, it was his slave that he was more worried about. Dumbledor knew that his prized possession had been trained since a child in the art of fighting and assassination. His slave would not be easily defeated, but if both his pawn and slave were to join forces then Dumbledor knew he would be doomed.

Severus placed the mysterious being, who immediately sought shelter with Harry's three friends, on the ground and readied himself.

Dumbledor briefly glanced toward a pair of eely-black beads; mentally conveying his thoughts to the owner.

The owner understood.

"_Douleur de mille douleurs._" A malicious voice responded without so much a warning.

"_Filazava._" Severus immediately responded. A protective shield enveloped around the Potion Master and held against the onslaught of the French spell cast.

"**NO! NO HURT MASTER AND LORD SLYTHERIN!**" The girl shouted in tantrum; causing the castle to shake violently once more.

Again students and faculty began running for cover. Only the combatants amazingly remained on their feet.

"**YOU MEANIE HEAD! YOU DON'T HURT MASTERS! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! HATE YOU! HATE YOU!**" The girl screamed and stomped her foot to prove her point.

With each stomp, the castle shook even more violently; even pieces of the ceiling came raining down upon them, and portraits spelled to eternally remain on the walls came crushing down.

"**I AM MASTER OF HOGWARTS!**" Dumbledor roared; having enough of the damned creature's tantrum. "**I AM THE HEADMASTER!**"

Harry, having enough of the Headmaster, rushed the old man; unaware that in his hand was a small orb of darkness. Not knowing exactly what he want to do to the Headmaster, but knowing that he wanted the _yathus_ gone from his territory, Harry charged the Headmaster.

"**YOU NOT MY MASTER!**" The girl screamed.

That simple little sentence silenced all; even the castle stilled into silence.

Harry ceased his charge; performing a perfectly executed back-flip away from the clearly stunned Headmaster.

Severus' concentration broke as his mind went a mile a minute by the implication of that one simple statement. From the corner of his eye, Severus noted a red gleam hurtling toward him, the child and his students. The dark wizard instinctively shoved the little girl further out of harm's way and placed himself in the path of the red-colored curse. Defensively Severus crossed his arms and whispered the protection shield charm a second time over himself in his native tongue, Romani.

There existed two types of spell casting. One was in the Traditional tongue, which was Latin, and the other was in the vernacular tongue, the language of the common people. Majority of Europe taught their students spell casting in both languages; however, England was the only country that remain traditional. It was the belief and goal that England was the only country to remain and would remain 'pure' to the superiority of the Wizarding Heritage; despite certain individuals' beliefs that the British Wizard was above such arrogance.

A French spell cast was considered powerful since the French language conveyed emotions through influxes of pronunciation of a word or phrase. However, while French spell cast was powerful, nothing was more powerful than Romani spell cast for the Romani language was magik itself! After all, aside from a witch and wizard, who else could be expected to be magical? To outsiders, they were called Gypsies, but among themselves, they were Roma!

Severus gave a slight grunt as he felt the French spell cast physically push him across the floor. His own Romani spell cast, however, protected him from serious harm and held against the powerful curse.

"**I HATE ICKY, STINKY-HEAD!**" The girl screamed as she stomped; causing the ground to roll and effectively knocking Chauvelin on his ass!

"Professor!" Several voices cried.

Severus remained still when he heard the cries but was quickly startled when he noted his three students rushing toward _him_!?

**Translations:**

_**Douleur de mille douleurs**_** (French) - Pain of a thousand pain**

_**Ehwu tjiesskit mehe, IX**_** (Parseltongue) - You disgust me, Bitch**

_**Filazava**_** (Romani) - Guard**

_**Yathus**_** (youma-lingua) - bastard**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 25: **_**Lady Hogwarts**_

Ginny, Hermione and Neville immediately rushed to their Potion Master's side. They were worried about him. They had never seen a Blasting Curse so powerful before. Not even with the extreme intent to harm a person, a Blasting Curse, at most, have been known to only break bones. This Blasting Curse that the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor used was extremely powerful and yet their Potions Professor blocked it easily and remained unharmed. However, appearances were deceiving, they knew this well, and they began asking him if he was alright.

Severus was stunned that any students would be concerned about him; not even his own Slytherins, save for a few, would be this concerned about him. Severus was truly surprised by these three, who were considered to be Harry's closest friends.

"Professor?" Harry's voice broke Severus' thoughts.

Obsidian peered into emerald.

"Are you alright?" Concern and worry was evident in his voice and expression.

Severus wanted to scoff at the young man. He wanted to believe that the raven-haired teen was pretending to care, but that kiss… That kiss, which revealed Harry's true feelings, resurfaced in his memory. There was no denying it. Harry was genuinely concerned and worried for him as were the three students around him. Such feelings directed toward him, Severus had not felt in a very long time; not since _him_. Severus gave the young man the barest of nods, which Harry understood and gave the man a smile.

Harry then turned his attention to the little girl, who was clutching onto Severus' trousers and looked extremely angry at both the Headmaster and the new DADA Professor. Walking up to the little girl, Harry knelt before her and smiled as she became happy again when she saw him. The young demon Lord had a suspicion as to who the little girl was… Or more precise what she was. Harry reprimanded himself for not figuring it out sooner but quickly forgave himself. After all, things have the tendency to just spiral out of control whenever he was concerned. He should have realized what his nose was trying to tell him. He should have _really_ realized it when the castle shook in tune with her temper tantrums. He should have realized it when she called Severus 'Lord and Master Slytherin'. It was not until she declared the Headmaster was _not_ her master that he realized what she was.

"Lady Hogwarts?" Harry tentatively asked. A collective gasp echoed throughout the Common Room.

A click was heard in the background. Harry glanced over and saw Colin Creevey doing what he did best. Seeing the curly haired boy also reminded Harry of Ron and what the redhead had done, but… _That's for another time. Right now, we have this little problem._ Harry thought.

"Yes, Lord and Master Gryffindor!" The little girl merrily chirped; now she was bouncing from foot to foot, but this time the castle stood still, but the atmosphere was brimming with warm happiness instead of the earlier cold fear and hopelessness.

"What the bloody hell is going on?!" Ron's distinct voice whined in the far background.

Lady Hogwarts wrinkled her nose then looked at her Master and Lord.

"I don't like weasels! They're icky!" She honestly exclaimed.

"What did you call me, you little brat?!" Ron screamed a bit louder despite being so far back. The distance gave the foolish mangled Lion a false sense of bravado.

Harry bit his tongue to keep from chuckling, but he clearly heard Gin and Severus sharing no reservation in regards to laughing at the red-head's expense.

Ron glared at the youngest female Weasley, who just ignored him and knelt next to the child-castle as well.

"This is impossible…" The Headmaster could be heard saying.

"Albus… What's going on?" Minerva asked as she took in the odd sight of her students around the mysterious little girl and the Slytherin Head of House with them as if it was the most natural thing in the world. The old matron was extremely worried, for she had never seen the Headmaster so pale and seemingly in lack of control. It seemed as if the world was tumbling into chaos.

"This is not possible!" The Headmaster said, a bit louder this time. Trying to gain some semblance of control.

All eyes, save for Harry and his Pack, were on the ancient patriarch. As always, eyes focused on the old man; seeking him out for answers. Dumbledor felt the eyes on him, and for a brief moment, he reveled in the attention and the knowledge that the world was in its right course. For a brief moment, the world was as it should be… All seeking _him _for guidance! However, the silent reverence of the students and Professors leaning toward him for guidance was soon dispelled when one small child innocently asked, "What's going on, Headmaster?"

Such a sweet and innocent question let loose a maelstrom of questions and shouting. The students were afraid and scared as were the Professors. The Headmaster became overwhelmed by the maelstrom of noise.

Harry mentally smirked at the obvious discomfort that the old man was experiencing. Of course, Harry was not faring any better due to his sensitive hearing, but seeing the old _yathus_ in pain made his own a bit bearable. Harry placed a hand on top of the child-castle's head, who looked up at him with questioning eyes. The demonic youth then casually nodded toward the old man, who was surrounded by mindless drones.

The little girl frowned. She understood what her Lord and Master Gryffindor wanted, and she was none too pleased about it. She wanted the stupid, old man to suffer. She wanted to punish him for all the horrible things that he allowed to happen. It was her duty to protect the Younglings as her previous Masters had instructed, but this one had prevented her to carry out her duties. He had been stealing her powers as his own. It was not until Master and Lord Slytherin had come to the school that she had been able to slowly regain her former powers, and it was not until Lord and Master Gryffindor had come to his true powers that Hogwarts had been able to finally resume her duties as the Younglings' Protector!

"Lady Hogwarts, please?" Lord and Master Gryffindor pleaded as the slight pounding behind his eyes became akin to an entire line of dwarf miners doing the cha-cha.

Chocolate brown eyes looked once more at her Lord then understood that his request was more for his benefit than the old Stupid-head's. She pouted. Her sign that she was unhappy but did as her Lord asked. Lady Hogwarts gently created rolling hills beneath the student's feet; pulling them away from the old Meanie-head and gently placing them at various spots in the Common Room; out of harm's way.

Startled and surprised, the students fell silent and watched.

Harry sighed at the sudden silence.

"Harry?" Ginny called as her soothing, healing touch coursed through his veins; alleviating more of the headache that was pounding behind his eyes.

"I'm fine. Thanks." Harry responded as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She smiled in response.

"I believe explanations would be in order." The Headmaster mustered; hoping to get more control over the situation and somehow get the child-castle under his powers or destroy it.

"Yes, of course, Albus!" Minerva agreed readily.

"What's to explain?" Harry asked, "This is Lady Hogwarts. The castle herself."

His tone was akin to someone stating that the sky was blue.

"We must investigate this, Harry." The Headmaster added, "This could be an elaborate trap sent by the Dark Lord or a Dark Artifact… Chauvelin, if you would please?"

Harry arched an elegant brow then smirked when Lady Hogwarts magically caused the castle floor to morph into a pair of hands and clasping onto the 'icky, stinky-head' as she so elegantly called him. Then she proceeded to give the foul Frenchman a raspberry from the safety behind Harry's legs.

"Doubt it." Harry replied. His mirth at the new DADA Professor's misfortune and the castle's childish behavior evident in his tone.

"Potter…" Severus' voice was low and carried a warning. Severus immediately knew that a power struggle was about to occur. He knew it was an eventuality between these two, and he also knew that his master in the past would often invoke these struggles just to crush and make Harry submissive to the Headmaster's ways. And in the past Severus did not care about the outcome because he still had clung to his own childish belief that Harry was a carbon copy of his father. However, this time the dark wizard _was _worried because this time _Harry_ started the power struggle.

The Headmaster's eyes twinkled in surprise. He was surprised that the boy would openly oppose him, openly challenge him as his benevolent leader and guide, but the old wizard was ready. He was ready to throw a crushing blow to the brat's pompous adolescent behavior. The Headmaster believed that he could easily rebuttal any arguments that Harry may attempt to make and humiliate the boy into submission. Then he would forgive the prat for insolence, and all would be right in the world under his guidance.

"Harry, my dear boy…"

Harry's eye twitched in annoyance at the old fool's cordial term for him.

"I know you wish to trust it, but we need to investigate the creature to ensure the students' safety."

Harry's grin was feral.

"Why, Professor Dumbledor, are you suggesting that Hogwarts is not safe as you have proclaimed on numerous occasions?" Harry taunted in mock shock.

"Harry, you know perfectly well that Hogwarts is the safest place… Aside from Gringotts, of course." Dumbledor automatically replied with an underlining hypnotic tone. It was the same tone and the same line he had used with the Press and the Ministry to ensure his position of power.

"Then by that claim, Lady Hogwarts is no threat nor is she a Dark Artifact." Harry replied; knowing that this little battle would be told to the parents by the children in the Common Room.

Dumbledor was displeased. The brat had used his own statement to the boy's advantage.

"Of course then again nothing is truly safe…"

"But aren't you the Great Dumbledor, Defeater of the Dark Wizard Grindelwald?!" Ginny jumped in. She immediately knew what her _on'frat_ was doing… To trap the Headmaster in his own word-game. "If you say Hogwarts is safe then Hogwarts is safe. Yes? But Harry, what if… What if the Ministry and the Daily Prophet lied?! What if Hogwarts isn't really safe?!" Ginny gasped as she looked pleadingly at her older blood-brother.

Harry expression was grim and full of worry to an outside observer, but to those closest to his heart, his expression was anything but grim and full of worry.

Dumbledor watched in horror as he noted the students around him where beginning to murmur among themselves. He could hear whispers of contacting parents, contacting the Daily Prophet, even contacting the Board of Governors. He could not have that.

"I don't know, Ginny-love, but if Hogwarts is not safe then… Perhaps…" Harry began chewing his lip to keep from laughing at the paled complexion the old wizard was now sporting.

Severus arched an eyebrow. He was impressed. _He went straight for the jugular_. Severus thought with hidden admiration. Severus knew that the Headmaster did not like to 'lose face', especially in front of the children. It went against the illusion of the wise, omnipotent grandfather that the old man had cast about him. The same illusion that allowed him to gain control of the British Wizarding Community from the shadows. If the children would begin to doubt him then the adults would begin to doubt as well, and _that _would destroy the Headmaster's carefully laid out plans of control. However, Severus knew that to openly question the Headmaster would lead to tragedy. The Dark One had seen it happen enough times to know that there was no such thing as an accident or coincidence whenever the Headmaster was concerned.

Unconsciously obsidian orbs gazed upon the two brunette boys, who stood before their Headmaster.

"How can we be certain that this creature is 'Lady Hogwarts'?" Dumbledor asked; not liking the fact that he just practically acknowledge that the little monster was in fact _not_ a Dark Artifact nor an item sent by Tom.

Harry looked down at the child-castle. He _knew_ that she was the castle personified. His Pack trusted him and believed him in that regard; however, how could he make the others realize it without revealing his own secret.

"Why not ask her a question?" Neville spoke.

"Ask her a question?!" Dumbledor's tone suggested that that was the most idiotic thing he had ever heard of.

However, Harry smiled brilliantly at his Delta, who began approaching the little girl and knelt before her.

"Of course, a question that only the Headmaster and Hogwarts would know. After all, is it not in _Hogwarts: A History_ that states that the Headmaster and the castle share some sort of bond?" Harry asked.

Hermione perked up when she heard her favorite book being mentioned. She was about to speak when she felt an invisible hand gently squeeze her arm. She looked at Harry, who was fully concentrating on the Headmaster. She then happen chance a glance at the Headmaster. She did not like what she saw as she moved closer to the safety of Harry's presence. Dumbledor's veiled glare caused Harry to bite his inner cheek to keep from grinning. In Harry's opinion, the old, decaying _yathus_ possessed too many secrets… secrets that gave the old man too much power. _It's time for you to be a man again, Dumbledor._ Harry mentally growled.

"I'm afraid, Harry, that there's not a single question I could ask that everyone does not know." The Headmaster replied. His entire presence oozed with that false sense of grandfatherly love, which enthralled nearly all around them.

"Lady Hogwarts, is there nothing that you can tell us?" Neville asked; ignoring the Headmaster in favor for the small child before him.

The little child looked thoughtful then looked at her Lord, who was still in a heated battle against the Stupid-head. Her Lord and Master then glanced down at her, when he felt her eyes on him. She knew her Lord and Master was no longer human. She knew that he had grown beyond the World of Humans, and his powers were in fact influencing those around him. She began chewing her lower lip like her other Master had done in the past when he was younger. She looked at her other Lord and Master, who was watching her with a deep, hidden sadness that she cannot erase. She had hoped by taking _her_ form that he would be happy, but had she made a wrong decision?

"Evie…" Lady Hogwarts looked up at her other Lord and Master. Her Lord and Master also heard the soft voice and glanced at the other with curiosity but said nothing. Lady Hogwarts saw her Master's clear concern for the other. It was crystal clear that her Master cared… _Crystal…! The crystal ball!_ Lady Hogwarts' eyes went wide with childish delight as she remembered the crystal ball! She looked at her Master with unrestraint joy. Her joy was infectious as she also noticed a small smile in her other Master's eyes. Her smile became even bigger and the realization that she had made her other Master happy!

"The crystal ball thingy with the two snakies!!" She said with excitement as she bounced up and down.

Harry tilted his head to the side. He knew what she was talking about. He remembered clearly after Sirius' death, the Headmaster had taken him aside and told him of the prophecy. While in the Headmaster's office, Dumbledor had placed a small crystal ball before the grieving, shell-shocked teen. Although in a state of shock, Harry remembered clearly what he saw. There was twin serpents, intertwine with one another to the point that Harry did not know where one began and the other ended. One serpent was an ominous green color while the other was oddly a pure white serpent. However, that was not all he saw. The young demon Lord also saw a shadowy scale weighing the two serpents together. The scale itself in some ways… now that he thought about it… looked similar to the Haijime tattoo on his forehead.

What did it all mean? He easily guessed that one serpent represented Voldemort, but the other? He did not know. Was the other serpent himself? If so then what of the scale? What was its purpose? What was it weighing? One serpent? Both serpents? Harry did not know, but as he looked into those large, innocent brown eyes, he suspected that Hogwarts did.

"What does it mean?" Harry finally asked.

Lady Hogwarts smiled!

"It means the two devouring serpents will be weighed and judged!" She said.

Harry was silent as he looked into her eyes. He could feel the Headmaster's eyes on them both and could scent a faint whiff of foul odor. It was bitter and sharp in contrast to the homely scent of the Pack that surrounded him. Slowly Harry looked at up to catch the faint flicker of fear in the Headmaster's baby blue eyes.

"Albus…" Minerva whispered; breaking the heavy silence that seem to be constantly entrapping the Common Room.

"It is late in the hour." Dumbledore mumbled absently as he warily watched the little castle-child move toward the Weasley chit. "We will continue this at a later time."

Dumbledor just automatically turned around and walked out of the Gryffindor Tower. The professors confused with what had transpired began trickling out with quiet murmurs among themselves. Even the students returned to their beds after the anti-climatic ending. Harry watched the new DADA Professor leer at his Severus, who stayed behind to gather the child-castle in his arms. The little girl gave a weak wave to Harry before promptly falling asleep in Severus' strong arms. A soft and envious smile graced the younger man's face as he watched the last of the professors and students leave the common room.

"C'mon." Ginny commanded as she grabbed her blood-brother's hand and proceeded to drag him out of the common room.

"Eh… where are we going?" Harry asked as he noted Hermione leading Neville in the same direction as he and Gin. Casting a quick glance over his shoulder, Harry felt hateful glares boring deep into his back from a few former friends.

"To Mina's room…" Ginny replied in low tones; knowing her demonic brother would hear her, "You have a lot of explaining to do…"

Black brows rose high in surprise when he returned his attention to her and immediately knew that he cannot escape his current problem; a pissed-off, baby sister, who was also a red-head.

**Translations:**

_**on'frat **_**(youma-lingua) - older brother**

_**yathus**_** (youma-lingua) - bastard**


	27. Chapter 27

_**Chapter 26: **__**The Pack of Shadows**_

Harry found himself plopped down on a large bed, which laid against the far wall of a large room. At the foot of the bed, a beautiful bureau served as both a desk and a nightstand. Sirius sat comfortably on the bureau's top, all the while receiving the full attention of Neville's affection. Neville sat at the bureau while the girls surrounded the raven-haired wizard.

"Alright, Haijime!" Ginny growled perfectly, "Spill it."

"Spill what?"

"Don't play games with me!" Ginny warned, "As your sister, I demand to know what on earth is going on!"

Harry frowned as he slowly sat up and looked at his tiny pack. They were all looking at him in concern and perhaps a bit of fear as well. He sighed as he absently nodded his head toward Sirius before standing up. Sirius watched his Master indifferently while Harry walked toward the far wall.

"Where are you going?" Ginny demanded with hiss.

"I'm going to get Luna. She's Pack. She needs to know as well." Harry stated then slipped into the shadows; ignoring the twin gasps of surprise.

Harry shadow-walked into the Raven Common Room only to suddenly pause when he came face-to-face with his aloof pack-mate. Luna smiled shyly at him from her seat. Harry arched a brow in question while the petite pale blonde stood up from her trunk. Shaking his head, Harry walked toward the small girl and casually lifted her heavy trunk with ease.

"I'm not going to ask how you knew." Harry mumbled as he laid a free hand on her low back and walked through the shadows once more.

"Harry?! Luna?!" Neville and Hermione gasped in surprise as the two emerged from the shadows.

Suddenly Luna let out a giggle as she looked behind her then at Harry beside her. Harry arched his brow once more in question at her sudden burst of giggles.

"It feels like walking through a warm mist."

"Exactly!" Ginny chirped.

"Okay…" Harry muttered as he placed the heavy trunk on the ground. He then walked to the center of the large room and turned around to face his Pack. His Pack… his Family… A soft smile graced his lips as he came to a realization. His life long dream of having a family had surprisingly come true in the form of his little Pack. He had wanted to protect his Pack by keeping his heritage a secret, but he quickly dismissed the idea. If he had done that then he would have certainly destroyed his little Family; something he would never forgive himself if it came to pass. He was never going to let go of his small Family, his Pack because it was his dream… his Family, his Pack. They were his and his alone.

They watched him with worried eyes, but beneath the worry, Harry saw the complete faith and trust in him. The young Lord pointedly looked at his blood-sister, who suddenly had the biggest and goofiest grin on her face that he had ever seen. She knew what he intended to do. She too knew what each of them were to the half dog-demon. They all were family. She then looked at each of her pack-mates, who waited patiently for their Lead to do something, and as she looked at them, she knew what their roles were. Harry and Sirius were naturally the Alpha male and Beta male of the group, the Leader and Protectors of the group. She herself was also a Beta, a Beta female. Hermione and Neville were the Caretakers, the Deltas, with their calm demeanor and extreme patience. Ginny then gazed at Luna for a moment before recognizing what her rank was. Luna was most definitely a Charlie, a rank that specialized in defensive protection of the pack… From what she learned in her Defense Against the Dark Arts when they covered Dark Creatures, werewolves lived in packs much like their natural wolf and canine cousins. Ginny figured that Harry would be no different and that their little family would be arranged as such as well. However, for them to truly feel like a family, they need to bond… A blood-bond to be more precise.

"Do you want me to get a cup?" Ginny suddenly asked; breaking the silence.

"No, that won't be necessary." Harry said as he waved his hand in the air and a simple little cup appeared.

"How did you --?!"

"Wandless magic?!"

"Oh how wonderful, you have control over your powers!" Luna wistfully said as she watched her Lord.

"Show-off!" Ginny growled with a pout.

Harry just grinned at his little sister's annoyance.

"Gin, your abilities are far more important than my own." Harry honestly countered.

"Abilities? What abilities?" Mina asked; for a moment forgetting Harry's little bit of wandless and wordless magik.

Harry sighed as he watched the cup hover in front of him.

"Before I tell you anything, I'm giving you a choice…" Harry said; drawing everyone's attention back to him. "The choice is you continue have faith in me or…"

Harry frowned. He did not really want to say that they should leave. After all they were _Mina's _room; however, the trailed off words echoed heavily and conveyed precisely what Harry meant. Luna and Ginny looked at one another and immediately stood up and walked to their friend and soon-to-be blood-brother. Neville and Hermione watched the two girls then they looked at each other. Neville stood up and gently helped his housemate to her feet. They walked over to where the other three stood. For a few moments they just stood there, an awkwardness draped over them as Harry waited. His eyes were locked on Sirius, who tilted his head to the side in confusion. Neville curiously watched the two interact.

"Uhm… Harry?" Neville whispered.

"Well?" Harry said; not paying attention to his timid pack-mate.

Ginny watched as well. She knew what her brother was waiting for.

"Well, c'mon!" Ginny cheered; hoping that her words would encourage the stoic Fire and Ice demon to move.

"Please, do join us." Luna then spoke; her Eye had shown her Sirius' true form, and she would love to meet her future blood-brother in person and not in some guise. "Please, my dear brother, join us. We're a family. A Pack."

Slowly Sirius leapt off of the bureau. A series of gasps echoed throughout their den as Sirius slowly transformed into his humanoid form.

||:Are you certain for this, my Lord?:|| Sirius asked as he stood proudly before his Lord, his Master, his Brother in all but Blood.

"_Haita._"

"Oh bloody hell!" Neville whispered as he looked at the mysterious raven-haired teen with crimson eyes.

Neville could not turn away his gaze. He felt trapped under those intense ruby orbs. He felt naked, vulnerable and yet safe under those heated gaze.

"Ohmigod." Mina whispered as she observed the raven-haired duo, who stood before them with no guise and in full glory of their true forms.

"You two are the most beautiful creatures I have ever seen." Luna dreamily whispered, which caused the two demonic teens to look at her questioningly, but Sirius' focus soon returned to his _nin-nus_.

"Sirius stop undressing Neville with your eyes!" Ginny giggled as she tried to ignore her heated cheeks. Sirius turned his gaze onto his Lady with a slight glare then again looked back at his _nin-nus_. Sirius tilted his head to the side as he noted the lovely shade of red-fruit descending down the other's delicate neck.

"Are you real?" A timid voice whispered toward Sirius, which made him look at the young woman he had come to respect over the summer's course.

"_Haita._" Sirius answered then slowly approached her; giving her the chance to touch him… giving the rest of the Pack the chance to touch him.

"All this time?" Mina asked; knowing that he would understand her meaning.

"_Haita._" Sirius answered again.

"Sirius has been protecting you when I couldn't." Harry filled in. Sirius glanced at his Lord and Brother. Harry spoke slowly for Sirius to understand what was being said around him. Sirius had a grasp of the English language; however, he only had a command of it when spoken slowly.

Mina smiled at the quiet demon then attentively wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "Thank you."

||:My honor, Sister Mina. You are strong. Do not doubt that. You are still in need of healing.:|| Sirius replied softly back.

Neville's breath was caught in his thought as he heard the beautiful sounds coming from the mysterious teen. He heard those sounds before in a dream. When he first heard Harry speak in that strange language on the train, Neville thought he was daydreaming again. He had believed that he was daydreaming that Harry was his soul-mate. Ever since he was a child, he had strange dreams of being safely cocooned in a pair of strong arms that would whisper only for him in that beautiful music-like language. However, hearing Sirius speak in that language, Neville knew immediately that _Sirius _was his soul-mate. Neville's heart raced with excitement. His flesh felt warm, which drew twin pools of pure crimson onto his person.

"What did he say?" Hermione asked as she released him.

Harry grinned as he watched Neville and Sirius. He was pleased with the way the events were turning out for the two.

"Sirius said, 'My honor, Sister Mina. You are strong. Do not doubt that. You are still in need of healing.' And he's right. You are strong, and now, you have us to help you." Harry said.

A shy blush kissed Hermione's cheeks. She glanced at Sirius but quickly adverted her eyes when she noted the demonic teen was in a heated lovers' gaze with Neville. She did not want to intrude on an intimate and private moment.

"_Teineo._" Harry chuckled; causing Neville to blush in embarrassment and Sirius to growl.

Ginny giggled.

"We still have a ceremony to perform and a lot of explaining to do." Harry informed his friend, who only gave the barest of nods in understanding but did not relent his un-amused glare.

The blood ceremony, that bonded Ginny and Harry to their new siblings, was done without much fanfare and quickly; even as Sirius participated in the ceremony, he gave a nonverbal comment to Harry about Kisa. Harry nodded in agreement to their monosyllabic conversation. They would also perform the ceremony with Kisa, which they hoped would ease the troubled girl's worries of ever being alone again. Afterwards Ginny then informed the others in what to expect. They could expect to feel feverish for a few days while the demonic blood course through their own; looking and awakening any latent abilities within them. She even informed them that their abilities may manifest within a few days or perhaps later, which got the group excited and curious as to what their hidden abilities would be. The young red-head even warned them to not be surprised if they noticed a few physical differences in themselves as well. She herself confessed that although she may not have demonic strength, her nails surprisingly have become her latest secret weapons, which Harry grumpily attest to when the young red-head had slapped him one day and drew blood. She even said that her eyesight was much better than before; however, only in the daytime.

Harry then gathered his little pack onto the large bed; making them all comfortable as he began to tell his Family everything. He spoke most into the early morning, since they figured out that it was only two in the morning when everything in the Common Room occurred. He talked of his fears, concerns, hopes and excitement of his demonic heritage. He definitely talked about his fears and concerns of being labeled as the 'Chosen One'. He told them of the stupid prophecy that doomed not only himself and his family, but Neville as well. The revelation elicited a very dangerous growl from Sirius and many outrageous shouts from the others at the thought of any form of danger befalling on their beloved, timid brother. Neville was ashen face as he understood the hidden meaning behind his Alpha's words, and the intent stare the two shared. Harry continued on stating that he was tired of the idiotic political games that were being played by Dumbledor and Voldemort. It was his opinion that the two megalomaniacs did not see this war as nothing more than a damn game of chess and the innocent lives being lost on both sides were of no consequence to either of them.

"I've come to the conclusion that I cannot fight for a 'side' because honestly neither side is solely a 'good' side or a 'bad' side." Harry said, "But I cannot let any more innocent people be harmed by them. They are innocent."

"Which means _they_ need guardians to watch out for them." Ginny replied then smiled at her brother, who smiled back gratefully.

"Okay, that's settled. We'll set something up to help." Harry mumbled as he laid his head down on Mina's lap.

Hermione's lips were slightly drawn as she processed everything Harry had told them. She was relieved that the young man confided in them and was also glad that he was no longer keeping everything bottled up inside of him. Now that she thought about it, she could see the little nuisances of Harry's demonic side over the course of the summer. She never really thought much of it then, just simply thought Harry being overprotective or had caulked it up as her imagination. She smiled; however, as she ran her hands through his thick mane all the while being mindful of his triangular ears, she was grateful that it was not her imagination and that her newly-bonded brother did truly care for her.

"So what's the plan?" Gin asked.

"Dunno… I'm kinda tired of the fighting… Just want to go with the flow at the moment…" Harry mumbled; enjoying Mina's tentative hands.

"But Harry…"

"I know." Harry sighed, "I can't. We can't. We need to act, but before we could do that, we need to know and understand the situation, all of it."

"Is the little girl really the castle?" Neville immediately changed the subject; knowing that they had come to the point that they were just repeating themselves. Harry gave the other teen an appreciative smile.

"_Haita._ She's the castle alright. She smells, taste and even feels like the castle."

"Amazing." Hermione whispered then frowned, "But why? Why now manifest herself into a physical body?"

"Yeah, how did that happened? But more importantly, why?' Ginny agreed.

Luna pointedly looked at Harry, who shyly rose his hand up. The others looked questioningly at him.

"Not to sound mean, but what makes you think you're the reason?" Hermione asked as she peered into those pure green eyes.

Harry had a sheepish grin that was known to cause him more trouble than not.

"Milord and Sirius are the most recent anomalies to occur in Hogwarts. Perhaps their demonic energy triggered something." Luna reasoned.

"Yes, however, I was the only one down in the lower chambers until I was rescued, which by the way, thank you!" Harry said.

They had forgotten about that.

"Well, actually… Professor Snape was down there too." Neville commented as well but also agreed with Harry's point.

"Yeah…" Harry answered dreamily, "Too bad I was out of it… I haven't had my Severus fix in awhile."

Sirius arched a brow. He knew perfectly well that his Brother had his moment with his Intended prior to leaving for the Northern Lands. The teen just shook his head. Hermione and Neville grew wide-eyed at their friend's statement while Ginny and Luna shared a knowing smirk. Neville and Hermione were shocked to hear such a casual and pouty tone from their friend. It was no-never-mind that said friend had just casually confessed to being 'straight as a circle', but it was more of the fact that it was the Dreaded Bat of the Dungeons, Severus Snape, that their friend and brother was pining for!

"Oh yeah!" Harry suddenly cheered as he remembered something, "I have detention with him! Tonight! This is going to be fun!… Hm… I wonder… Hey, Mina, do you think he'll kill me if I removed his glamour?"

"**WHAT?!**" Several voices shouted in surprise. Harry just blinked then mumbled, "Right, of course, he'll kill me if I did that. What was I thinking…"

"A glamour?!" Ginny asked not sure if she heard correctly.

"Uhm… Yeah, he has one. It's pretty powerful… Almost like a second skin… Hm, wonder what he taste like underneath that magik…" Harry wondered absent-mindedly then broke into that impish, feral grin, "Oh yeah, this is going to be fun…"

"Neville, be happy that it's Sirius, who's pursuing you." Ginny said as she patted the timid boy's hand. The sudden statement caused said teen to blink owlish before blushing while Sirius growled and Harry laughed.

"What?!" Neville whispered.

"Why's that?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"Why! Sirius is reserved like ice and yet passionate like fire while Harry…" Ginny teased, "Harry's just a horny dog."

||:Bitch!:|| Harry growled as he blindly reached for a pillow behind Mina and attacked his sister with it.

Despite the heavy undertone of the events that surrounded them, the small pack found themselves in the midst of a full blown battle filled with giggles, laughter, squeals, growls, yelps and feathers everywhere! The teens forgot the worries of war as they proceeded to attack one another with pillows that were magically renewed after being thoroughly de-feathered. The mock battle continued for several minutes; the childish play was good for the release of taunt tension in their muscles. Soon the tiny pack collapsed onto each other in a large heap of tangled limps. They did not give it a second thought when they found themselves in a pseudo-dog pile. They just basked in the warmth of being together as a family.

"As much as that was fun," Ginny started, "it doesn't resolve our problem."

Harry frowned.

"We can't do anything until we can speak with Lady Hogwarts… Which I fear won't be for some time."

"Do you think the Headmaster will do something to her?" Luna voiced her concern.

"No, at the moment, she's with Severus. Besides I doubt that the _yathus_ can do anything to her." Harry replied then looked around, "Mina, do you mind if we re-arranged your room?"

"No, why?"

"Den… Needs to be more… homey." Harry mumbled as uncertainty laced his tone. Although together, there was just something missing about their den. Sure, it had the warmth, which a family produced when together, but there was something still missing.

"I agree." Luna whispered as she understood what her Lord was getting at. Yes, their den was safe because they were together, but there was still something missing…

"Well, let's try to get some sleep. I have a feeling that we're going to be needing it later on the day." Harry whispered.

"Especially you, since we know that you'll be dealing with Dumbledork about Lady Hogwarts." Ginny growled as she nuzzled closer into his warm body.

Harry groaned at the reminder.

"I'm sorry." He apologized.

"For?" Neville asked.

"Whenever I deal with the manipulative ol' _yathus_, I'm not the best person to be around."

"Kinda like when Professor Snape when he's in a mood?"

"Worse." Hermione and Ginny answered as certain events during the summer made sense to them.

"You Alpha. Not he. Our way better." Sirius said. Neville looked at his future Mate in surprise while fighting a blush. Neville ducked his head as he thought about the other's voice. While speaking in his native language, Sirius' voice sounded smooth like a river, but when he spoke their language, it was rough and warm like fire. Neville really needed to ask why the teen seemed to match these opposing elements so well.

"Hunh?" Hermione mumbled as sleep was beginning to lull her under.

"I'm the Alpha. This is my territory… The castle, the Forest, even Hogsmeade…" Harry stated softly as he heard the even of breathing coming from his pack-mates.

"I get it." Ginny mumbled.

"Yes, as do I…" Luna breathed out, "You're the leader of the Pack… You're the stronger one, the more powerful one and the younger one."

"He's old… aging… weakening…" Hermione whispered as she nuzzled closer into Harry's chest, "Just like a pack of wolves… need to… research…"

Harry chuckled lightly as he was soon lulled into a light sleep by the steady heartbeats of his Pack.

**Translations:**

_**Haita**_** (youma-lingua) - yes**

_**nin-nus**_** (youma-lingua) - human**

_**Teineo**_** (youma-lingua) - stop**

_**yathus**_** (youma-lingua) - bastard**

**Author's Note:**

**First of all, I want to thank everyone for their patience with me. I know that many of you have been waiting for quite some time for these updates, and I hope that I haven't disappointed anyone. Hopefully, in the future, it will not take me just as long to produce more updates for this piece. If so then I am truly sorry.**

**Secondly, I know that this series of updates bring up some questions, which will be answered in due time. However, what I would like from you, my readers, is write to me some of your questions you have about the updates, and remember constructive criticism is preferable and appreciated. Until next time. Take care, and hopefully, it won't take another year and a half to update. **

**-Azteka**

**P.S. I want to apologize to my readers for the screw up with the upload of the chapters and the repeat of Chapter 16/17. It has been awhile since I last used the system so everything is slowly coming back to me. Again, I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Thank You!**


	28. Chapter 28

_**Harry Potter Omake**_

"**KYAAH!**"

"**SHIT!**"

"**THERE HE IS!**"

"**GET HIM!**"

"**HELP!**" Came an undignified squeak as a handsome young man began running for his life from the mob that had spotted him at a local floral shop. The young man, casually dressed in a pair of breeches called _jeans _and an odd blouse called a _tea-shirt_, was just minding his own business, looking for a bouquet of flowers for his courtship of his beautiful Phoenix, when he was spotted by the ravenous mob. He did not know what to do since he had promised his guide that he would not harm anyone while he was shopping in the Muggle World. Now, he very much regretted making such a promise, and so he did the only thing that he could without breaking his promise or bringing great bodily harm to himself, he ran. He ran to the only person who could help him, his guide.

Sensing his pursuers were hot on his heels, the young man quickened his pace to the local coffee shop where his guide had said she would wait for him. Almost by magic the young man spotted the colorful logo of the coffee shop, Java Jungle. Gracefully the young man leapt over the waist high iron fence but was unable to slow his momentum in time as he slammed into the glass-panel side door of the café. Frantically the young man ripped at the door handle, opened the door then immediately slammed the door shut as one of the mobster kissed the door - literally. It would have been comical, if it were not the fact that the young man felt like a fox in a foxhunt.

In a state of near hyperventilation, the young man frantically looked for his guide, having no doubt that he looked akin to the proverbial 'snitch-in-the-crossfire'. Suddenly as if the Heavens had shone a light on his guide, the young man visibly relaxed, ignoring the curious onlookers.

**SLAM!**

"**KYAAH!**"

"**DRACO!**"

"**I LOVE YOU!**"

"**MARRY ME!**"

"**LONG LIVE DRACOGINNY LOVE!**"

The once quiet coffee shop erupted in series squeals of delight, devotion and undying love.

As soon as the glass had slammed open, Draco had lunged toward his guide and hid behind her tiny frame.

"Hide me!" Draco squeaked as he trembled at the dreadful prospect of his own demise at the hands of the mob of fan girls and a few fan boys.

The guide took a deep breath at having her peace disrupted by the mob of foaming fans, trying to calm her own urge to painfully eviscerate the frothing mob. _Have anyone heard of rabies shots? _She dryly thought. Reaching for a pen and an ever present notepad, the guide quickly scribbled down an incantation onto a slip of paper then tore the sheet free from the notepad and handed it to the trembling Draco, who looked at the outstretched hand curiously before taking the slip of paper. Slowly raising to his feet, which caused the mob to fall silent as they watched him with complete rapture, Draco arched a brow as he looked at the script then back at his guide, who had returned to drinking her chai tea. Knowing that he was not going to get an explanation until _after _he read the incantation, Draco cleared his throat then began reading the script.

"_**O! Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch! Bloweth my enemies away!**_"

**POOF!**

The café instantly filled with smoke, which slowly dissipated into nothingness and revealed that the mob had disappeared!

Twin brows arched high as Draco noted the quiet and calm café, and that all the patrons had resumed whatever activities they had occupied themselves with… As if he was never chased into the café by a ravenous mob. Draco then looked at his guide again, who was happily sipping at her chai.

"By Merlin's Balls, what was that?!" Draco exclaimed as he seated himself across from his guide.

"What? Never heard: _The pen is mightier than the sword_?" She asked cheekily then motioned him to have a sip of his tea, which magically appeared before the agitated teen.

Subconsciously then teen did as his guide silently instructed and took a sip of tea, which immediately had a calming effect on the young man.

"Well, yes, I have heard something similar but 'bloweth me enemies away'? And 'Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch'?"

"Insider's joke, and did you honestly think I would literally 'blow' them up?" She honestly asked then took a sip of her chai.

"I don't know…" Draco trailed off, knowing her pension for painful demise to those who come between her and her Sacred Brew - Coffee.

"Yeah, you're probably right. I might have, but you know … it would be more of a hassle to clean up the blood and body parts. And we're in the wrong part of the States for any of the CSI Teams to come and investigate." She sighed.

"O~kay…" Draco replied, slightly disturbed that his guide would know how difficult it would be to clean up a literal bloody mess…

"I'm curious, though, about what _that_ was about." She asked suddenly as she leaned back into her seat, cupping her still warm drink to keep the chill out of her hands.

"Well aside from proclaiming their undying love and devotion to me, they probably wanted information."

"Information? What information?"

"Apparently they overheard some Muggle with a chicken-butt hairdo say that the next couple of chapters in _The Pack of Shadows_ will have me in it."

The guide then narrowed her crimson-brown orbs as she knew who Draco was talking about.

"Sasuke."

"Sauce-kay? What's a sauce-kay?"

"Not a 'what'. A 'who'." She smirked as she can picture the break down that Draco choose for the shinobi's name. "Sasuke is a young man that I'm writing in another story. He's not very happy with me that I won't allow him to have another character in the same story. Of course, it'll really piss him off once he realize that this particular character has already been spoke for."

"I see." Draco replied, although he did not, as he took a sip of his tea, "So it is true that I'll be in the next couple of chapters?"

"Yes, most definitely in the first section that I'm working on, but I'm not sure about the other sections." She replied as she downed the rest of her chai then looked mournfully at her empty cup.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked as he refilled his guide's drink with a wave of his wand.

"Well, this month, I'll be working on _Pack of Shadows_." She paused to take a sip of her freshly refilled drink.

"Okay." Draco prompted impatiently, which caused her to grin.

"I either fill up a 70 page notebook for the story before the end of the month then break down the sections into manageable chapters, or the end of the month deadline that I gave myself comes up first. Then I'll be working on two other pieces, giving each a month to write and then I start editing all three. Giving each piece a month each to edit."

Draco looked at his guide curiously as he mentally calculated his guide's tself-proclaimed timetable.

"So… about June-ish, we can expect to see me be the big brother that I am. Or perhaps some alone time with my Rose?"

"Maybe on the second part, but most definite on the first, and Harry gets a new 'wand'." She casually stated, using her fingers to make quotation marks when she said wand.

"What?! Why does Potter get to have a new wand?! And what do you by that?!" Draco demanded as he mimicked her hand gesture.

"Well, think about it… Harry and Moldy-puss have the same wand core, which means that their spells cancel each other out."

"Alright, I give you that. But that doesn't answer my other question."

"Well, Harry has gotten stronger now that he's a demon lord so technically..."

Draco frowned as his guide trailed off her sentence. Even though she did not say it, he could infer to what she was getting at. Even though it made sense, it did not mean that he had to like it. After all, Draco would have to challenge Potter in order to properly court his Rose.

"Fine!" Draco childishly pouted as he crossed his arms, "Just promise me this."

"Sure, what?"

"I get to challenge the weasel."

She gave the teen a feral grin, which made Draco a bit wary of what his devious guide had in mind.

"Consider it done." She purred.

Now, he was really worried.


	29. Chapter 29

_**Chapter 27: The True House of Slytherin**_

**STOMP. STOMP. STOMP. TURN. STOMP. STOMP. STOMP. TURN.**

_Bastards!_ Mentally growled a highly pissed-off silver dragon as he continued his pacing before a roaring heating stove. _When I get my hands on them, they're going to wish they had never been born! How dare they harm him! He was to be protected!_ The peeved dragon vowed.

Suddenly his mental ranting ceased when he heard a faint whimper coming from the adjoining room. Quickly and quietly, the young man moved to the door that he had left ajar and peered in for any signs of intruders, who had come to finish what they had started, which consciously he knew was impossible since he was in his godfather's personal quarters. His godfather's chambers was not very accessible to anyone and was heavily warded in the Roma tongue. When the silver dragon saw that there was no one else in the room, save for the small First Year student that slept on the single sized bed, the young man slowly approached the bed and knelt down beside the sleeping boy.

A part of him knew that he should have taken the little First Year to the medi-witch, but he could not bring himself to trust the old crone with his precious baby brother. Besides the older student felt safer within the hidden walls of his godfather's chambers.

His silvery-blue orbs watched closely to the sleeping boy's face, searching for any signs of pain that he or his friend might have forgotten to heal after the blonde-haired wizard brought the little one there. As he watched the little First Year, the dragon's anger rekindled anew. He just could not believe that his own Housemates and Year-mates could attack this precious little eleven year old boy before him. He probably would not have believed it was not possible if he had not heard the little one's cries and saw with his own eyes those inbred bastards beating the helpless pre-teen.

Closing his eyes to fight back the tears that stung his eyes, the young man leaned forward, resting his forehead against the little one's as his fingers gently caressed the downy-soft locks.

"Oh… Dominick…" The young man whispered, trying to hide his fear at the thought of having nearly lost his precious baby brother only after having him back in the older teen's life. "I'm so sorry…"

"Hng… Drake..?" A soft voice sleepily called out.

Drake opened his eyes to find himself staring into a mirror pair of silvery-blue orbs. He gave his little brother a weak and yet honest smile, which Dominick returned with a weak smile of his own.

"How do you feel? Are you hurting anywhere else?" Drake asked in quiet tones, afraid that whatever spurred the castle to shake violently would occur again.

"I feel sore…" Dominick replied, "I'm sorry, Drake."

"Sorry? For what?"

"For causing so much trouble…" Dominick answered as he began chewing on his lower lip, trying to keep himself from crying.

Ever since their mother had called him out of hiding, since the pale monster was sent away, trouble had plagued their little family. First was the issue of finding him, bringing him out of hiding and introducing him to the Wizarding World. Second was the blonde haired monster that terrorized their mother and Dominick's older brother had returned and had nearly killed Dominick upon realizing who the young wizard's Sire was. The monster would have succeeded, had it not been for Drake, who stopped the monster. And then all the stares and subtle insults that everyone gave him, but only when he was alone. The others would never dare do it in front of their mother or in front of Drake. And now this…

Even though Drake warned everyone against raising a hand or wand against Dominick, it did not truly stop the hateful stares nor did it stop the looks of contentment. Drake promised his baby brother that he was going to fix it and let everyone know that Dominick was special.

Oh sure, a few of the other First Years were curious about Dominick and where he came from.

After all, Hogwarts did not get many students from other countries that were not part of the Britannia Empire. The Britannia Empire was similar to the Muggle British Empire prior to the Colonial Revolution of 1776; however, unlike the Muggle British Empire, the Britannia Empire still retained its colonial magical communities, mostly due to magical oaths that continued to bind those communities to the Empire. Of course, this knowledge was not widely known to the present generation of witches and wizards.

And so a few brave First Years approached the strange foreigner and asked him of his origins and heritage. After all, bloodline was important… at least, in their minds, it was.

Dominick was proud of his heritage, and he told them so. He was Seminole and British. His mother was the most beautiful witch that ever lived, and his father, Sebastian Riversoother, was the bravest man to ever live. Dominick spoke proudly of his father as a warrior of his tribe, his nation and his country, and he spoke of his father's bravery as his father tried to protect his mother from an evil demon. However, his father died at the hands of the evil demon, who then took his mother away. Dominick then quietly spoke of his dear Auntie Thea, who taught him the world of spirits, the laws of nature, and the ancient names of the Gods, and Auntie Thea also taught him his people's history through the art of Story-lore. He was taught all this, Dominick explained, because he was Seminole as was his father and his father's father, all the way back to the beginning.

Those that listened to the young storyteller were fascinated by the tale while most just guffed at the Mudblood's idiotic story and told him so, which brought Drake's ire upon those who would dare to call his brother a liar. However, Dominick just merely shrugged. The other students were outsiders; therefore, their belief in his story was not important. What was important was that Dominick knew the truth as did Drake since he was kin, and that Dominick embraced that truth, which he did wholeheartedly.

But because he was a Mudblood and foreign-born, the other students became wary of the caramel-colored boy. Majority of the House just ignored him while one or two of the younger students would look at the Seminole Shaman with curiosity. Only Drake and his friends were truly friendly and open with the foreign-born wizard.

And it was because Dominick was a Mudblood and foreign-born that when the castle started to violently shake, the other students believed it was his doing and thus attacked him.

"You have _nothing_ to apologize for!" Drake hissed, "You hear me. _Nothing!_"

"But, Drake, I'm different!" Dominick whimpered.

"Bullocks!" Drake swore, "You're not different. You're you, and if those inbreeded Neanderthal throwbacks ever lay a hand or wand against you again, they will pay!"

"Drake! No! Please!" Dominick pleaded, knowing that his older brother meant it. After all, it was Drake, who saved him and their mother from the evil demon. "It wasn't their fault! They were scared, and I'm different!"

"Dominick!" Drake stopped his brother from make any more excuses, "It _was_ their fault! We are Wizards! Not a bunch of superstitious beasts that attacks anything different from us! You are no more different than me or Uncle Toby. They had no right to attack you!"

"Who attacked you?" Another more commanding voice demanded, startling the brothers.

"**UNCLE TOBY!**" The brother exclaimed.

"_Who_ attacked you, Dominick?" Uncle Toby demanded once again as he approached his bed, carrying in his arms a sleeping little girl.

The presence of the little girl in their godfather's arms so surprised Drake that he momentarily forgot about the attack on his brother. Until Uncle Toby had demanded again.

"The other Slytherins." Drake answered, knowing that their House Head would want justice served.

"What?" Severus gasped in shock and horror to hear that his _own_ students would attack one of their own.

"Hng…" Mumbled the sleeping girl when Severus had unintentionally tightened his hold on her.

"S'rry…" Severus absently muttered as he placed the mysterious little girl on the bed and knelt down before his youngest godson.

Drake quickly moved out of his godfather's way, giving him the opportunity to examine the little girl, who was now rubbing the sleep out of her eyes with her tiny fists.

Drake estimated that the girl could be no older than six years old. She had long brown hair with natural red highlights and large almond shaped eyes. Her eyes were dark brown, almost black, in color, and she had a flat nose that revealed her Italian heritage. Drake frowned as he noted that the little girl was wearing only a nightshirt and nothing else. The little girl then looked up at Drake and gave the older teen a big, toothy smile, which Drake found he could not resist but give a smile in return.

"Dominick, I'm going to check your injuries, is that alright?" Severus asked as he held his wand out.

"Blaise already healed my wounds." Dominick explained, hoping he could hide the extent of his injuries from his godfather.

Severus narrowed his eyes as his lips drawn together into a thin line.

"Don't protect them, Dominick." Severus warned, "They don't deserve protection."

"But…" Dominick whimpered, "…they didn't mean it… they were scared…"

"Dominick," Severus' voice was soft, kind and understanding, "that's no excuse for what they did. Please, Dom, let me see."

Dominick lowered his eyes in shame at having to make his proud godfather beg then nodded his consent to Uncle Toby's request.

Severus sighed in relief, pleased that he did not have to fight his godson, who could be just as stubborn as his mother. With a gentle roll of his wrist downward followed by a flick to the left, Severus quietly muttered the spell to scan Dominick's healed injuries.

"_Patefacio habeo quod me medeor._"

While Severus concentrated on Dominick, the little girl watched on with a pouty scowl on her face since she was being ignored for the time being. Drake thought it was cute as he picked up the tiny girl off of the bed and walked out of the bedroom. The young man thought it best that he and the little girl left Severus alone as he examined Dominick.

Walking back to the living room, Drake placed the little one on the chair closest to the heating stove. Once settled, the little girl looked about her in confusion.

"Something wrong?" Drake asked as he busied himself in making tea for his godfather and himself.

"Why aren't we in Master's Chambers?" She innocently asked.

"Hunh? What?" Drake sputtered as his eyes grew wide in surprise that a small child would call anyone 'master'.

"Master's Chambers. This is not Master's Chambers… Master's Chambers is nice. It has many books. Lots an' lots an' lots of books… First Master read lots of books!" She exclaimed as her smile became more pronounced.

"Who are you?"

Before she could say, Severus answered.

"She's a Homunculus. The castle in human form… That is if what Harry said is true."

"Harry?" Drake arched a brow, surprised that his godfather would call Potter by his given name. "As in Harry Potter?"

"That is what I said, Draco." Severus drawled, annoyed that the young man would second guess him. _How many Harrys could there be at Hogwarts?_

Draco wisely kept quiet as he was uncertain on whether or not he should tell his godfather that he had just called Potter by his given name. Perhaps his godfather was truly tired and was not paying attention. Draco mentally nodded to himself in believing that was the case. The Malfoy Lord then returned to the previous subject… the girl.

"A Homunculus? Are you sure?" Draco asked as he approached the brunette, who beamed with happiness. "Aren't they supposed to be illegal to make?"

"They are; however, I doubt anyone currently living made her."

"Hunh? What do you mean?"

"First Masters and Mistresses made Evie!" The little girl cheerfully exclaimed then looked at her Master Prince, hoping he would be pleased with her name that she had accepted as her own.

Severus was quiet as he looked at the little Homunculus. It did not escape his notice what 'Evie' was short for. It was blatantly obvious to the older wizard, especially since the little creature looked exactly like _Her. _And of course, it did not help that he had accidentally called the child-castle by that name. _What is done is done. _Severus soberly thought.

He had the chance to subtly examine her as he had carried her back to his quarters after the fiasco in the Gryffindor's Tower. She had felt warm and solid as any child should; however, after Severus had cast a subtle scan-spell, he had learned that the little girl did not possess _any_ internal organs, save for a strange core that resonated with magic… the same energy signatures that he had felt from the Tree of Life, the Yggdrasil. Severus immediately suspected that the strange core he had sensed served as either the Homunculus' heart or some sort of battery to keep the creature alive.

Severus had never seen such an elaborate golem before, but he had quickly dismissed the idea of the little creature as a mere artificial shell of human form. This tiny creature was a Homunculus, an artificial human with its own personality and thoughts, rather than a faceless, humanoid-shaped doll. A Homunculus was so 'human' like that one could mistake a Homunculus for an actual human being. The Wizarding belief about the Homunculi was that the Homunculi did not possess a soul and thus were not alive, which meant that the Wizards of the past would create these Homunculi slaves and such for "research purposes". And then once the "research" was done, the Wizards of the past would just dispose the Homunculi later as if they were nothing more than broken toys and trash.

In Severus' opinion, the Ministry of Magic did the only good thing by banning the creation of the Homunculi. Of course, the main reason for the ban was not out of morality, but out of survival, since the Muggles were finding the remains of the discarded Homunculi, which caused the resurgence of the witch-hunters, religious zealots who believed that any 'miracles' performed not sanctioned by the Holy Church was the work of the devil.

"First Masters and Mistresses?" Draco asked then immediately his eyes grew wide in realization, "You mean the Four Founders?"

The little girl continued to smile brightly.

"Holy Merlin's Balls!" Draco exclaimed in shock, which caused the child to tilt her head in confusion while Severus pinched the bridge of his nose to stem back a growing headache.

"Draco, please, refrain from using such colorful oaths." Severus quietly reprimanded.

"Sorry, Uncle Toby, but this is _so_ cool. To see and speak with an artifact from the Era of the Founders! Just imagine all the questions I can ask!" Draco exclaimed in childish delight as he looked at the young child in awe and admiration.

Severus felt his lips twitch upward for a faint smile as he watched his godson. It was a well kept secret among their family that Draco loved history. The Malfoy Lord was particularly fond of the Era of the Founders since so much of the history of that time period was destroyed either by the ravages of time, by the follies of mankind or by the plain censorship done by the Nobility. However, Severus feared that Draco was going to be seriously disappointed, if not heartbroken, when the Headmaster would demand for the Homunculus' destruction, and Severus knew that his Master would demand it unless of course his Master could find some use for the she-castle. Severus mentally shook his head free of such thoughts as he concentrated on the here and now. Taking a deep breath, Severus knew of only one thing that could draw Draco's attention away from his beloved history… his family.

"Who attacked Dominick."

And as if someone had blown out a candle, Draco's demeanor changed from childish delight and wonder to pure outrage.

"I'm going to make those motherless bastards pay!" Draco vowed.

"A youngling hurt?" The little girl shrieked in horror.

Severus just glanced at the tiny Homunculus before returning his attention on the young Malfoy Lord.

"I do not doubt that you will; however, I am going to be needing those names."

"Why?" Draco demanded as he shot up to his feet. "You and I both know that that _Bastard_ will do nothing about this! He'll just make it as if you don't want a foreign-born in your house!"

Severus narrowed his eyes. He did not need his godson to tell him what the Headmaster's concerns were nor what the Headmaster's arguments will be. He knew his Master well enough; however, Severus also knew himself. He was not going to let this lay. He had a few contacts, that not even the Headmaster knew of, who could help in carrying out justice… And if what he had observed over the summer was correct then Severus undoubtedly knew of one particular individual, who would be more than happy to assist in serving out justice.

"Lord and Master Slytherin." The little girl whispered as she tugged on the older Slytherin's sleep-trousers.

Severus looked at the tiny thing, ignoring Draco's shocked and confused expression.

"Yes?" The Slytherin House Head answered, finding himself refraining from calling the little one by _Her _name. He was not ready for _that_ particular set of emotional scars… just yet.

"A youngling hurt?" She asked as her eyes were wide and teary.

Severus forced himself to look away from the Homunculus child and away from his godson. He did not need them to remind him of his failure. He had failed to protect one of his students, his youngest godson. When he had learned of the young one's placement into his house, Severus had known then that the House of Serpent was not the place for the young Shaman-Wizard, but he had hoped that perhaps _he_ had been a positive influence on his students, and that his students would accept the young foreign-born.

_This is why I hate humankind…_ Severus bitterly thought.

"Names." Severus ordered.

Draco stiffened as he recognized that bone-chilling tone, which his godfather would use when royally pissed off. The young Wizard Lord sighed, knowing that his godfather would find out who was responsible for Dominick's injuries either through him or through his friends. And Draco knew that the older Slytherin would not be so kind with his friends. _Buggered if you do. Buggered if you don't. _Draco mentally swore as he rattled off the names of the individuals that he and his friends had physically pulled off of his baby half-brother.

After a few moments of silence, Severus found himself just finishing his mental citation of the Hyuga Seven Chakra Gates, in their full and proper names, before he believed himself to be some what calm. Eight names were spoken: a few were First Years, but most were older boys and a few older girls. Severus just could not believe that so many were willing to beat one little eleven year old boy. _Is this what our world has come to?_ Severus asked himself.

"I will deal with the First Years and the girls. The others I leave to you; however, all of them will serve detention with me." Severus finally stated, which Draco coldly smiled.

The young blonde had a few particularly nasty ideas on how to make the older boys pay. And despite popular belief that a Slytherin serving detention with their own Head of House was a kin to a carte blanch, a free pass, it was far from the truth. Serving detention with Severus was every Slytherins' worst nightmare. No one received special treatment; not even Draco. If Potter thought his detention with Severus was bad, it was worse for the Slytherins by three-fold.

"And Evie will tell Lord and Master Gryffindor too!" The little she-Homunculus stated with vindictive glee.

Draco looked at the little girl curiously. He had assumed that when the little girl called his godfather 'Lord and Master Slytherin' that she was referring to the older Slytherin's position as the Head of House. And by that logic, Draco wondered why the Head of Gryffindor House would care about what happened in "enemy territory".

Severus crossed his arms across his chest as he shifted his weight from one leg to the another and looked down at the "innocent" little Homunculus.

"And why would that brat care about what happened in my house?" Severus demanded, even though he knew that Harry would care.

Twin blonde brows rose high into the hairline as Draco heard his Uncle Toby call the mangy Gryffindor-cat a brat.

The little girl cocked her head to the side, confused by her Master Prince's question. Of course, her Master Shadow would care. Hogwarts belonged to her Masters and Mistress. They loved Hogwarts, and Hogwarts loved them!

Severus arched an elegant brow as if asking 'well'; however, the little Homunculus began chewing on her lower lip and fiddling with the hem of the nightshirt she wore.

She did not know how to answer the question, and she began to fear that she had disappointed her Master Prince.

Suddenly Severus' expression softened as he noted how distress the little one became when she could not answer his question. Of course, the blasted pain-in-his-arsch had that thrice-damned hero-complex, which would make the prat care. Severus knew that Harry did not really care about House distinction. The bloody Gryffindor only gave to pretense since it was expected of the Scion of the Light to uphold everything Gryffindor and detest everything Slytherin. A pretense that had even Severus fooled. Shaking his head, Severus cast a _Tempus_ spell and was startled to see that it was almost five in the morning, and the students would be required to be at the Great Hall at eight o'clock for their time tables, which meant that Severus would be required to show up at the Headmaster's Office two hours before hand. In other words, the older Slytherin was going through the day on less than four hours of sleep!_ Oh joy…_

"Draco, go to sleep." Severus mumbled as he pinched his nose, a habit he found himself doing more often than not. "It'll be 8 soon."

"I'll be fine." Draco remarked dismissively.

If his Uncle Toby was going to be a grouch due to lack of sleep then the young man felt the older Slytherin should not be alone. Besides… Draco felt it would be an excellent ruse when he would go after Dominick's attackers.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy," Severus began, ignoring the look of loathing on the younger Slytherin's face, "go to sleep."

"Fine." Draco remarked as he walked to Severus' bedchamber, where Dominick had been sleeping; however, before he disappeared into the dark room, the young man quietly said, "You should take better care of yourself too, Uncle Toby."

Severus just merely glanced over his shoulder; his expression gave away nothing at what he felt as he watched the young man he helped raise disappear into the bedroom.

"Master?" The little Homunculus' voice was barely above a whisper as she sensed the drain within her strong Master, who had yet fully recovered from the previous evening.

Severus looked down when he heard the girl's soft voice.

"I'm fine… Evie." Severus whispered gently then left his quarters to mediate.

**Translations:**

_**Patefacio habeo quod me medeor. (Latin) -**_** Reveal what has been healed.**

_**Tempus**__**(Latin) -**_** Time**


	30. Chapter 30

_**Chapter 28: A Demon Lord's New Clothes**_

Groaning and disgruntled, Harry slowly untangled himself from his Pack as his sleep-fogged mind remembered his 'meeting' with the Headmaster. Of course, the young demon Lord knew that the Headmaster had no intention of including Harry on the meeting in regards to Lady Hogwarts' fate, just like how the manipulative _yathus_ had excluded the young man from much in regards to his _own _life. Throwing the young teen into one situation after another with just bare minimal information and a whole lot of luck as the teen's weapons… However, that was going to end today. Harry was going to sit in on that meeting, either in the flesh or from the shadows, and he was going to have an active role in his life and his education. He was Alpha! Hogwarts was his territory!

There was much Harry did not know about the Wizarding World. Thinking on it, Harry snorted in disbelief. He knew _more_ about the history, politics and etiquette of _Ma-Terrarum_ and the Northern Court than he did of the Wizarding World. _Definitely going to be needing to re-do my class schedule._ Harry thought to himself as he absently waved his hand for a set of clean clothes. The young demon Lord knew that his timetable would consist of classes that would focus on Auror training since that was expected of the Scion of the Light. However, as the raven-haired teen thought over his education in general, he was saddened to discover that his education was seriously lacking and single-minded.

With a heavy sigh, Harry began to dress himself.

Not really paying attention nor putting much thought into his spell cast, Harry was unaware of the style of clothing that his magik created. Automatically he began pulling on his clothes, not bothering to hide his nude form from his sleeping Pack. The black breeches reached past his knees and stopped at mid-shins, leaving plenty to be tucked in a pair of soft, black leather boots. Casually the young demon Lord donned on a thin white under-tunic before donning on a thicker black tunic, which reached past his hips. The outer tunic was unique because it looked similar in cut to a karate top that Harry had seen once when his 'dear' cousin was going through his "karate-master" phase before settling on boxing. After settling the outer tunic on his shoulders, Harry easily put on an even darker shade of black surcoat. The surcoat looked more like a vest rather than a sleeveless, short tunic. With expert ease, Harry tied a sash around his waist, securing both tunics and surcoat in place. The sash, aside from the white under-tunic, was the only other color that Harry wore. At first glance, the sash looked black, blending with the tunic and breeches; however, the sash was really a dark shade of amethyst that it had the appearance of being black.

Harry then looked around with a frown marring his face. He could not find his school robes. It was then that he noticed a pair of eyes on his person, and he knew it was not Sirius. Looking up, his Elysian green orbs met with surprised and yet admiring jadeite green gems. Harry tilted his head to the side in curiosity, not saying a word for fear of disturbing his Pack's much needed rest.

Ginny's only response to his silent question was to look at the simple and yet very regal attire that her _on'frat_ was wearing.

Following his _imoutsor_ gaze to his clothing, Harry immediately bit back a groan as he slapped himself on the forehead. He could not believe that his magik had conjured up clothing that he would normally wear in _Ma-Terrarum_. True, the fabric was not of the same quality as his wardrobe in _Ma-Terrarum_, but Harry found that he liked the feel of the cotton and the cotton-blend fabrics that he was currently wearing. Harry then narrowed his eyes on Sirius, who was peering over Neville's shoulder. The hybrid's eyes glittered with mirth even though he was expressionless.

This was not the first time that his magik took free reign in his conjuring. The last time he conjured something, he had to quickly dismiss it because it had been rather embarrassing. He had wanted to conjure a doll for Kisa, but he had also been thinking about his Severus at the time. Harry highly doubt that his Dark One would have appreciated a plushie doll of him with fox ears and a fox tail. He knew that he should not let his mind wander while conjuring since his magik had the tendency to reflect his inner most thoughts and feelings.

Taking a deep breath, Harry was about to snap his fingers to charm his clothes to look like 'proper' school uniform, much to his displeasure, when he suddenly paused as he saw Gin's pout. Harry lowered his hand while arching his brow in question, which caused the redheaded young woman to beam.

Ginny had never seen her _on'frat_ look so regal and powerful. Of sure, she thought he looked great in whatever he wore, but in this, in the clothes of a demon, Harry looked the part of a warrior that he was. _And he should!_ She thought. Ginny made a mental note to enlist Luna and Mina's help to convince their _on'frat_ to wear such clothing more often. He did look really good and looked far more relaxed in the attire than the constricting school uniform.

Slowly Ginny got out of bed and walked to her Lord and Brother.

Harry remained still as he watched his _imoutsor_ approach.

Ginny stepped closer and found herself nuzzling her face against his strong chest, unaware of the faint rumbling sound coming from herself. She could not explain it, but she had the overwhelming need to imprint her _on'frat_'s scent on herself and show her approval in his attire.

Harry smiled. He got the message. _This was him._ Anything else was unacceptable. Well, it was not like he was _not_ living under an illusion for the time being. What was one more simple deception to hide the real Harry? Harry gave a soft woof, which made Gin look up to see his devil-may-care-grin.

Ginny smiled as she felt her _on'frat_'s magik wash over them, but she quickly frowned her brows when she saw nothing happen. Her frown was all the question Harry needed to know what was on her mind.

Harry just grinned as he winked at his _imoutsor_, who just rolled her eyes. Stepping away, Ginny quietly conjured up her own school uniform and began dressing. All the while wondering why she was not shy nor ashamed to reveal her naked form to the older Gryffindor and hybrid demon, who had just given Neville one last nuzzle against the timid teen's neck before finally climbing out of bed. Pushing the question aside for a later time, Ginny finished dressing when she suddenly stilled as Harry's wild magik just washed over her again, covering her in a gentle warmth. Looking at Harry in confusion, Ginny saw her _on'frat_ nod his head toward her person.

Her eyes grew wide as she looked down at her clothes. A bright smile broke out on her face. Harry returned her smile with one of his own then nodded for them to head out, which she and Sirius immediately followed.

Once in the Common Room, Harry was surprised by a tackle-hug that Gin gave.

"Thank you!" She whispered, which caused Harry to chuckle lightly.

"Hey, no prob." Harry replied, "You think the others would like their own set of clothes?"

"Absolutely!" Ginny answered with conviction as she looped an arm around Harry's offered arm, and they walked out of Gryffindor Tower.

**Translations:**

_**Imoutsor (youma-lingua) - **_**younger sister**

_**Ma-Terrarum (youma-lingua) -**_** Demon World**

_**On'frat (youma-lingua) - **_**older brother**

_**Yathus **__**(youma-lingua) - **_**bastard**


	31. Chapter 31

_**Chapter 29: A Sleeping Dragon, A Wild One and An Angel Phoenix**_

Shake. Shake. Poke.

"Ngh…" Draco grunted as he buried his face deeper into his pillow while he attempted to ignore whoever was trying to wake him.

Shake. Shake. Poke.

A pale hand reached out from under the covers and weakly slapped at the idiot that was shaking him. Mentally Draco vowed to castrate the damned fool for daring to wake him, especially if the stupid moron was Blaise.

"… -ay…" Draco mumbled into his pillow as he tried to settle back to sleep.

"It's time to wake up, Draco." A familiar voice drawled, which caused Draco to lift his head from his pillow.

Confusion clearly colored the blonde teen's sleepy expression as he tried to figure out why his godfather would be in his dorm room, and why had none of his dorm-mates woken him up to tell him that his godfather was there.

"Come on, Drake! It's almost time for breakfast!" A youthful voice chimed at the same time as the bed shook violently by extra weight jumping up and down on it.

"Up! Up! Dragon! Up! Up!" Chimed a second voice of a little girl also at the same time as the bed continued to shake violently.

"**GWACK!**" Draco squawked as he was literally ran off of the bed by two jumping bodies.

Glaring at the two giggling imps on the bed, Draco slowly got to his feet, immediately remembering the events of that early morning. The young man was pleased to note the healthy pink hue on his brother's cheeks as the younger boy began laughing uncontrollably.

"And…" Draco drawled, "What's so funny?"

"Drake! You have bed-head!" Dominick laughed while the little she-Homunculus giggled as well.

Immediately Draco's hands went up to his hair in attempts to hide the obvious mess; however, it was a fruitless endeavor, especially when the blonde heard the deep chuckles coming from his godfather.

"Bah!" Draco grunted as he quietly left the bedroom for the little water closest that was adjacent to the living room.

Looking in the little mirror, Draco groaned at the tangled mess that was his hair. It was moments like these that Draco really hated the tradition of growing one's hair out as a sign of Lordship. Grumbling about stupid hair and stupid traditions, Draco grabbed for the simple hairbrush on the sink counter and began brushing the tangles out. Deciding on not wanting to deal with his hair in his face that morning, Draco pulled his hair back into a ponytail and secured his hair with a black hair-tie that he found attached to the hairbrush handle, no doubt belonging to his godfather. Shortly afterwards, Draco returned to the bedroom, completely ignoring his godfather, who looked suspiciously well-rested even though Draco knew the truth, and approached the two laughing brats.

"Alright!" Draco barked as he placed his hands on his hips and demanded, "Whose bright idea was it?"

Immediately the two children pointed to one another, neither willing to accept whole credit of attacking the sleeping dragon.

'_Let sleeping dragons lie'_ as the Wizarding Proverb went.

"Not going to confess?" Draco narrowed his eyes on his two unsuspecting victims, "Alright then…"

Then without warning, Draco jumped onto the little bed, nearly on top of the two troublemakers. The children squealed as they scrambled out from under the heavier teen and off of the bed, but the older teen proved to be faster as he gathered both children in his arms and proceeded to blow raspberries onto their exposed flesh. The small bedroom echoed with squeals of childish delight as the two little ones were being "tortured" by the older boy.

Severus just watched from the doorway. He knew that Draco did not have an easy childhood and rarely allowed himself the luxury of being himself. It was moments like these that Severus enjoyed the most. His two godsons truly behaving as siblings and a family rather than strangers and acquaintances. The elder Slytherin knew that he should break up the children's play, but he could not bring himself to do it.

_Just a few more minutes…_ Severus told himself before breaking down in a fit of laughter at the sight of Draco being tackled by the two little children.

"Are you sure you want to do this alone, Harry?" Ginny asked as they stood before the Gargoyle, which guarded the Headmaster's office.

It escaped Ginny's notice that when the Blood-Siblings had stopped before the statue, the Gargoyle moved without a password being spoken. While Ginny failed to notice the moving statue, Harry did not and filed the information away for later.

"I won't be alone, Gin." Harry assured her, "I'll have Siri, and Severus will also be there."

Ginny frowned at her _on'frat_'s casual use of the Potion Professor's name. She knew that her brother favored the surly older man, and she was happy for both of them. She knew that the Match was perfect; however, she worried about the wrong people learning about her _on'frat_'s fancy… Mainly she worried about Dumbledork learning about the two men. After all, it was Dumbledork, who first planted the idea of her and Harry being Intended to her parents. Of course, Ginny always had suspected that her brother, Ron, had somehow played a role in that idea. But fortunately for her, her parents, although were thrilled about the idea, did not blindly agree to the Headmaster's scheme. After all, her own mother was Intended to someone that she did not love let alone knew, and Molly did not wish that sort of arrangement for her own daughter.

"Ginny?" Harry called as he noted her frown and worried expression.

"Hm?"

"What's wrong? You looked worry."

Ginny then began nibbling her lower lip. She knew that Harry did not know of the Headmaster's scheme to have them betrothed, and she did not want him to end up killing the Headmaster on the first day of school, despite how tempting that thought was.

"Gin?"

"_On'frat_, please, be careful. I don't trust the Headmaster, and I'm afraid of what he would do if he ever found out about you and Professor Snape." She confessed.

Harry stared as his _imoutsor_ for a moment before sighing deeply.

"I should have known." He quietly mumbled.

"Harry?"

"I had a suspicion that the _yathus_ had an 'unhealthy' interest in my love life for a reason."

Ginny lowered her eyes in shame. She should have known that her _on'frat_ would be aware of the Headmaster's manipulation.

"Hey…" Harry whispered as he lifted her head up, "Thanks, though… I sometimes forget that I have to be careful, especially around him. In _Ma-Terrarum_, I don't have to hide. I can be myself and love whoever I choose."

Ginny gave her _on'frat_ a wistful smile as she too understood the power of being able to love someone freely without fear of reprisal from her friends, family and status.

"But make no mistake, Gin, if that _yathus_ comes between Severus and I, I will not hesitate to end his miserable existence."

Ginny shivered at the truth of her _on'frat_'s promise.

"Okay," Ginny replied, "just promise me on thing?"

"Sure, what?"

"Can I watch?" She asked with such pure and unadulterated innocence that Harry barked in laughter.

Walking up the flight of stairs that lead to the Headmaster's office, Harry could not help but to chuckle to himself. Who would have thought that his _imoutsor_ would be so bloodthirsty? Aside from the fact that the _yathus_ deserved everything that Karma could throw at him, Harry suspected that the decaying and aging wizard would accumulate more negative Karma before the year was out. Pushing the thought aside, Harry saw the door to the Headmaster's office open as he approached.

Warily he walked into the office. Never before did either the Gargoyle or the Headmaster's office door moved or opened on their own accord. More often than not in the past, Harry had spent nearly an hour guessing the password to get the Gargoyle statue to move, and when he had finally made it to the door, the _yathus_ would say 'Enter' or 'Ah! Harry, my boy!'… However, whatever _this_ was, Harry guessed it was a new tactic on the Headmaster's part to throw the young demon Lord off of his game. _Whatever_, Harry thought, _I'm ready for you, you _yathus!

Harry stepped into the office, expecting to face the Headmaster and his damned twinkling eyes, but was surprised to find… no one. Harry opened his senses to catch anyone, who might be hiding, but again he found no one, save for Fawkes, who was happily preening himself on his perch.

"Hello Fawkes." Harry automatically greeted as his eyes darted from one object to the next, looking for some unknown threat.

The Phoenix just trilled in response, which the young raven-haired teen assumed was a greeting. Ignoring the immortal bird's curious stare, Harry discretely sniffed the air. A frown marred the teen's face.

_What troubles ye, Wild One_? The Phoenix' voice gently trilled.

"He was here, but his scent is at least a day old." Harry answered, paying no heed to the fact that he could understand the majestic songbird's thoughts.

_Ye be correct. The Old One has been denied entry._

"What? How? When?" Harry asked as he looked at the beautiful bird. It was _then _that he suddenly realized that he _could _understand the Phoenix' sweet and musical trills as spoken words… _But how..?_

_The Castle speaks not to him since the Castle's awakening, Wild One._ Fawkes stated then shifted into a comfortable position, _The Castle speaks now to ye and to the other Masters._

Harry just looked at the bird in pure puzzlement. He opened his mouth to rattle off his questions when…

"So ye be the one to awaken the Castle." A calm and yet commanding voice stated.

Harry snapped around. An orb of Shadows shot from his hand and straight _through_ the stranger, who stood behind the young demon Lord.

"If I be of flesh and bone, I be seriously injured." The stranger ruefully teased.

"Hey, Drake…" Dominick began as he followed his older brother through the dungeon corridors to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Hm."

"Do you think I can play with Evie later today?" The young Seminole Shaman asked, which caused Draco to think about it.

Honestly, the young blonde hoped to have a chance to speak with the little Homunculus as well. It was not everyday that one would come across a living artifact from an era that literally was the foundation of one's world. Oh sure, Draco had tried speaking with the Gray Lady and the Bloody Baron about their past. He had even tried speaking with Nearly Headless Nick, but he was quickly disappointed. Despite the fact that the three spirits were born and raised during the Founder's Era, they had no real recollection of the Era; not even of their own lives. It was as if the three spirits' existences began right there at the castle… poof, there they were, and they had never ventured beyond the castle walls.

"I don't know, Dominick." Draco honestly replied, "I myself would love a chance to speak with her."

Dominick then made a face as he clearly remembered his brother's love of history. Even though he was well versed in his people's history, the younger Slytherin still found the subject boring. He just wanted a playmate and friend, which he feared he would not have if he stayed in Slytherin House. Shyly Dominick slipped his hand into his brother's larger hand, which caused Drake to look down and squeezed the tiny hand.

"Don't worry, Dom." Drake assured his baby brother, "Uncle Toby will take good care of Evie."

Dominick then smiled happily. If their Uncle Toby was with Evie then everything was going to be fine. Then suddenly the younger Slytherin stopped dead in his tracks as he looked down the main corridor and saw a pretty girl walking away from the Great Hall. However, it was not just the fact that the strange redhead was pretty that caught Dominick's attention, but it was the slowly swelling power that was growing within her that drew his attention towards her. Dominick recognized that power… It was the power of a healer, a Wild Healer. His Auntie Thea has once told him that the world was once full of Wild Healers, people who could heal the Great Mother from sickness, but the Wild Healers had disappeared a long time ago, and now…

"Dom?" Draco called as soon as he noticed his brother had stopped moving. Noting that something had caught the younger boy's attention, silvery-blue orbs followed Dominick's gaze down the corridor and gasped in surprised as he saw a beautiful angel walking toward the Gryffindor Tower.

"Virginia?" Draco called out, confused.

The beautiful phoenix-haired girl turned around and kindly smiled when she saw the two Slytherins.

As Draco watched the angel of his dreams come closer, he could not help but to take in her dress. She looked breathtakingly beautiful in the long and flowing ashen-colored chemise, and when she lifted a hand to brush a strand of her deep auburn-red hair behind an ear, Draco quickly noted that his angel wore a second, close-fitted chemise of ivory color beneath the first. However, instead of a bodice, which was typical of traditional witch's garb, his beautiful angel wore a sleeveless surcoat that reached past her hips. The surcoat was beautifully embroidered along the hem with Celtic-hound knots and was a shade of deep amethyst-black, and securing the surcoat in place was an ivory-colored sash.

"Hello Draco." Virginia called as soon as she was closer, "You are up early."

"I can say the same of you." Draco answered as he mentally burned her image into memory. "So what are you doing up so early?"

Virginia tilted her head to the side as she thought about his question.

"I was walking with Harry to the Headmaster's office." She honestly answered, which surprised the Malfoy Lord.

He did not expect the youngest Weasley to have answered his question and so honestly as well. Of course, Draco was not sure what surprised him more… Virginia answering his question or that Potter had gone to see the Headmaster and classes had yet to start!

"This must be a new record for him." Draco casually stated, which caused the beautiful Gryffindor witch to giggle.

"I think so too."

"If you don't mind me asking, but what did he do this time?" Draco asked, silently praying that the witch of his dreams would answer just for the sole purpose of remaining in her presence a little while longer.

Virginia frowned a bit. She knew that the Slytherin Head Boy was not being mean and that he was sincerely curious. She just was not sure no how much she wanted or could tell him without having him think she was wonkers.

"Well…" She hesitantly began, "Did you feel the castle shake early this morning?"

Suddenly Draco narrowed his eyes as he clearly remembered being thrown out of bed and pulling his own Housemates off of his baby brother. _I should have known that Potter was somehow involved._

"Yes." Draco answered through clenched teeth.

"Well…" Virginia stuttered, "Lady Hogwarts wasn't happy about Professor McGonagall slapping Harry then -"

"What? Waitaminute!" Draco interrupted, which effectively silenced the redhead, "Prof. McGonagall slapped Potter?"

"Yes."

"And who's this 'Lady Hogwarts'?"

"Oh! She's this adorable little girl!"

"Evie?"

"Who?" Virginia blinked owlishly.

"Little girl… this tall." Draco motioned with his hand the little Homunculus' approximate size. "Brown hair and was wearing a boy's nightshirt."

"Yes!" Virginia cheered. "Evie, hunh? That's a good name for her."

"Okay… So let me get this straight." Draco started, "Evie caused the castle to shake because one, she's the castle's Homunculus, and two, McGonagall slapped Potter?"

"I don't know what a Homunculus is, but Evie _is_ the castle. And yes."

"Morgana's Tits!" Draco swore, which caused Virginia to giggle while Dominick just frowned. "Leave it to Potter to complicate things!"

"And we still don't know why she came." Virginia sighed, knowing that Draco's statement was only the truth, even Harry had bemoaned about his lack of normalcy in his life. "Did she say anything to Professor Snape?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Well, no matter, Harry won't let anything happen to her." She commented with conviction.

"And why is that?" Draco asked, curious as to how Potter would protect the little she-Homunculus, especially if the Headmaster decided to destroy her.

"Because Harry is her Master." Virginia stated as if that was explanation enough.

"I beg your pardon, 'her Master'?"

"Yes," She smiled with pride, "Harry is Lord and Master Gryffindor."

Draco's eyes grew wide in surprise.

"Drake…" Dominick whispered.

"Hn…"

"Why would Evie call a student 'Lord and Master'?"

"It's been rumored that Potter is Gryffindor's Heir, even though there's no official record of Gryffindor having any children." Draco explained to his little brother, even though the older Slytherin knew that Dominick still had no clue as to who Gryffindor was or how the man was important to the Wizarding World.

"Not rumored. He _is_." Virginia corrected with childish pride.

"So… does that mean Unc… Eh… I mean Professor Snape is Slytherin's Heir?" The little Slytherin asked, which caused the two older students to look at the little one pointedly.

"Be careful of what you say, Little One." Virginia warned.

"Why?" Dominick innocently asked.

"Because Moldie-puss has ears even in Hogwarts, and if he hears of the possibility that there might be another Slytherin Heir, he won't hesitate to kill them."

"And you should heed your own warning, Virginia." Draco calmly stated, although he was mentally pleased that his beautiful angel was fully aware of the dangers that surrounded them; either in the form of the adults or their own classmates.

"Meaning?" She asked.

"I highly doubt that the Dark Lord would appreciate the bodging of his name."

"And who among us three would inform him that a mere slip of a blood traitor called him by some silly little name?"

"I am after all the son of a Death Eater…" Draco spat out with hidden self-loathing, "By your own brother's admission, I am practically a Death Eater already."

Virginia then gave Draco a cool grin as she took one step closer to the young man, stepping into his personal space and peering deeply into his silvery-blue eyes.

"Since when does a _dragon_ bow down to a wyvern?" Virginia purred then stepped away and began walking back to Gryffindor Tower. However, before the young witch disappeared from sight, she turned around and said, "By the way, I like the ponytail! It looks good on you!"

Then she ran.

"Dom…" Draco began as soon as he remembered to breath.

"Yeah?"

"Pinch me, for I must be dreaming… the angel of my dreams just… just flirted with me!"

"**E-owl**!" Draco suddenly yelped as he felt his little brother pinch and twist his arm.

**Translations:**

_**Imoutsor (youma-lingua) - **_**younger sister**

_**Ma-Terrarum (youma-lingua) - **_**Demon World**

_**On'frat (youma-lingua) - **_**older brother**

_**Yathus (youma-lingua) -**_** bastard**


	32. Chapter 32

_**Chapter 30:**_ _**Sir Edwin de Prince**_

Harry lowered his hand as he observed the stranger. The stranger was obviously a man with neatly trimmed bread and thick, wavy black hair pulled back in a low ponytail. Accustom to the eccentric medieval style of clothing that the Wizarding World seem to favor, Harry was surprised to see this man in proper medieval grab.

The stranger wore a pair of brown hose, which were tucked into a pair of sturdy leather boots. The man also wore a plain, neutral colored tunic with a leather jerkin, a type of sleeveless, close-fitting tunic which could be mistaken for a vest by today's standard. All in all, the man's attire was rather plain and simple. Nothing about the man's clothing gave away his identity; not even the simple golden chain around the stranger's neck seemed to give away any form of identity, but Harry did find three things odd about the stranger's appearance. Harry found it strange that the man wore golden spurs attached to his boots and was wearing what looked to be a white plaited belt with an empty curved scabbard, which was the third thing that he found odd.

Harry had only a basic knowledge of what medieval swords looked like, and he was certain that no English sword was curved to almost look like a crescent moon.

The stranger's raven black eyes glittered with curiosity but soften with fondness when he looked upon Fawkes.

"Hello Old Friend." The stranger said as he held his hand affectionately over the Phoenix's head.

It was then that Harry realized the stranger held no scent!

"Who are you!" Harry growled at the spirit, who then chuckled.

"Ye be wise." The stranger commented, "Very few mortals ask me such question in the beginning. Most would brush aside my person as one of their own or believe I be of no concern of their's… And yet ye knew right away or should I say ye nose knew the truth."

Harry narrowed his eyes on the strange specter, who just merrily smiled at him before returning his attention to the singing bird.

"But to answer ye question, I be Sir Edwin de Prince." The phantom answered as he bowed before the young Gryffindor wizard from his waist while his right hand lightly touched his chest, his lips and his forehead as he revealed his open palm.

Harry blinked in surprise as he recognized the formal and yet foreign bow. He had seen it on the tele, on one of his aunt's favorite dramas. The show was a romantic fantasy about a beautiful Arabian princess, a handsome street rat and an evil sorcerer in ancient Baghdad, and the young demon Lord clearly remembered the strange bow that the characters would give one another.

"You're Muslim." Harry found himself blurting out.

Sir Edwin gave the youth a knowing grin.

"Aye, young Wild One," The spirit replied, "I be a Moor. Ye be the first to know of this… how?"

"Your bow."

Sir Edwin arched his brow in surprise then he nodded his head in acceptance.

"Ye be quite observant." Sir Edwin stated as he walked past Harry and perched himself comfortably on the corner of the giant bureau, which was connected to the desk.

Harry found it strange that the spirit would move about with such … well, he did not know how to describe it. It was as if the spirit was not a spirit, but a living, breathing person.

"You know, I think this is the first time that I've seen you." Harry stated as he sat down in one of the few visitor's chairs that the Headmaster had decorated around the office.

"I have always been here. After all, the Castle be my home." Sir Edwin replied with a slight shrug of his shoulder.

"That doesn't explain why I've never seen you before." Harry persisted as he clasped his hands over his stomach.

"It does not." Was Sir Edwin's only response.

Harry frowned. He knew from past experiences with dealing with the other Hogwarts' spirits that he could not force a spirit to talk. It was not that he was concerned with a spirit lying if he attempted to make them talk, and that was the key word… _attempted_. If a spirit refused to talk then they did not talk. Harry sighed then he remembered something that Sir Edwin had said.

"You said that I caused the castle to awaken." Harry began, which caused the strange Moor to nod, "What did you mean by that?"

Sir Edwin grinned, which caused Harry to think for a moment of his Severus.

"Ye be the one to awaken the Castle to her full potential…" The spirit paused, "Ye and Tobias."

At this, Harry say up straight in his chair.

"Tobias?" Harry questioned, "You mean Severus?"

"Aye."

The young demon Mageling mentally frowned. He was troubled that this spirit would know something about his _nakam-cius_ that he did not, such as Severus' middle name, and Harry assumed it was Severus' middle name since it was Wizarding custom for the first born male to have their Sire's name as a middle name. Harry then was curious on how his _nakam-cius _would react if he called him by his middle name. It was something he was going to test that night when Harry arrived for his 'torturous' detention. Harry then glanced back up to the Moor spirit as he found himself curious about the spirit's statement: _full potential._

"Lady Hogwarts was supposed to be the final addition to the castle's construction, wasn't she?" Harry voiced his nagging suspicion about the child-castle.

Sir Edwin tilted his head to the side, for a moment a flicker of confusion colored his expression before it melted away to reveal a ghostly grin.

"Ye be _very_ clever, Wild One." Sir Edwin applauded the youth's intelligence.

This time it was Harry's turn to tilt his head to the side in confusion. That was four times he had been called 'Wild One'. Twice by Fawkes and now twice by the spirit as well. Despite his curiosity to know the meaning behind 'Wild One', Harry was more curious about the child-castle's function as an 'extension' of the castle. If he knew what Lady Hogwarts' function was then he could better counter the Headmaster's attempts to get the professors and possibly the Board of Governors from agreeing to the girl's destruction. Harry did not doubt that the Headmaster had somehow made contact with the Board of Governors, after he had left the Tower, in order to gain permission to do something, anything, which in essence allowed the old wizard to gain more power.

"If Lady Hogwarts serves as an addition to the castle, what's her purpose?" Harry asked.

"Lady Hogwarts, as ye named her, serves as a Speaker." The spirit said as if that was explanation enough.

"A Speaker?" Harry frowned. He knew what the word meant by today's definition, _someone who speaks_, but the young Gryffindor suspected that the word had a different meaning to the spirit. "What do you mean by a 'Speaker'?"

"Lady Hogwarts serves as a Speaker by speaking with the younglings and deciding whether or not they be sound to attend at the Castle." Sir Edwin answered.

"Decide whether or not a student was sound to attend?" Harry questioned then suddenly understood the cryptic meaning of 'sound to attend'. "Why on earth would the Founders construct something like that?" Harry exclaimed, fearing that the she-castle was perhaps a product of Salazar Slytherin's prejudice against the Muggleborn. "Everyone has the right to learn on how to use their magik, properly. May they be pureblood, half-blood or even Muggleborn!"

Sir Edwin smiled another one of his rueful smiles, as if he had heard such a statement before and yet knew a horrible secret to such naïve innocence.

"Ye be right, Wild One." The phantom began, "All should have the right to be schooled…"

Harry could hear a heavy 'but' at the end of the specter's words. Harry narrowed his eyes.

"But what?"

"With power comes responsibilities… Responsibilities to self, to others and to the future. If one does not understand the powers within oneself as an extension of oneself then they become blinded by fear and manipulated by fear…"

Suddenly Harry paled as he remembered the little boy down in the lower Chambers of Hogwarts. A young child consumed by fear to the point that he had cast a raging inferno which not only consumed him but the other sleeping children in the forgotten, lower Chambers.

"Oh god…" Harry whispered in horror, "The Witch Hunts!"

"Aye, the Witch Hunts…" Sir Edwin whispered, "None could or would believe that the Church, whom we served faithfully, would send assassins to destroy us…"

"Children! They were children! Innocents! Younglings! How could they condone something like that? It's barbaric! Monstrous!" Harry growled in disgust at the past crime.

"Fear and greed, Wild One, fear and greed."

Harry snorted in disgust.

"Humans suck…" Harry quietly grumbled, which caused the Moor to tsk.

"Humans be young and have much to learn as do ye, Wild One." Sir Edwin chided.

"I suppose you're right…" Harry sighed, "especially about having a lot to learn. But this information doesn't help me from keeping the Headmaster from destroying Lady Hogwarts."

At this, the spirit frowned as he asked, "Why would the Headmaster wish to destroy the child?"

"Because he can't control her." Harry replied as he rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"None controls the Castle." Sir Edwin stated, "The Castle serves none, save for the Younglings. It be another reason the Castle has a Speaker. Ye Lady Hogwarts speaks the Castle's desires, wants and needs."

"If that's true then why did she call me 'Lord and Master'?" Harry asked.

"Ye be that crazed Celt's offspring." Sir Edwin replied as he waved his hand dismissively.

"Beg your pardon?" Harry owlishly blinked, "Crazed Celt? We are talking about Godric Gryffindor, right?"

"Aye, Godric the Welsh, the Golden Gryphon…" The spirit said with hints of brotherly affection, "It be his idea to build the Castle for the younglings as a safe and protected place to learn our arts."

"Really? The history books said that it was all four Founders' idea to build Hogwarts."

"Nay, it was the Celt's idea." Sir Edwin corrected then turned his gaze to the decorative, ceremonial sword that once belonged to the Welsh Warrior-Mage.

Harry noted the spirit's gaze and could not help but wonder if the Moor knew one of the Four Founders.

"Aye, I did." Sir Edwin answered.

Harry suddenly blushed at not realizing that he had voiced his question.

"Do not be ashamed. It be a good question." The spirit remarked then stood up to walk over to the sword, a link between himself and his long dead friend.

Harry too stood up and followed the spirit to the sword he had not seen since his second year. It was still as beautiful as the day he pulled it out of the Sorting Hat. The great sword was of standard size at three feet long, which made the teen wonder how in the name of Merlin his twelve year old self could have ever wielded such a huge weapon. The silver hilt with its egg-sized ruby pommel glittered beautifully under the candlelight that illuminated the room. The straight, two-edge blade gleamed dangerously under the same light. Its beauty was marred only by the black acidic splotches that Harry assumed came from the basilisk's blood.

"Godric would be most upset at this blade's present state, regardless he favored it or not." Sir Edwin frowned.

"What do you mean? This is Godric's sword. Isn't it?"

"Aye, it be the Celt's blade, much to his displeasure." Sir Edwin chuckled.

"Hunh?"

"This be not a blade of battle." The spirit explained, "The Celt be a Warrior, and had no need of a _woman's_ blade."

"A _woman's_ blade?" Harry gaped, "I highly doubt that either of my _shisorn _could pick it up! Hell, it was a miracle that _I_ did at age twelve!"

"Bah! It be a woman's blade." Sir Edwin insisted, "But it be strong enough to be the Celt's _caduceus_."

Twin black brows furrowed together in concentration as the young wizard tried to remember his Latin when suddenly Harry's eyes grew wide as the moon. He instantly snapped his attention back to the beautifully crafted sword.

"Fuck Merlin!" Harry hissed.

"An interesting oath. Rather vulgar."

"Screw vulgar! You just bloody hell told me that that sword is in fact Godric's fucking wand! His _wand_!" Harry continued his rant, not knowing if he should be happy as a child in a candy store or horrified that he had used a Founder's _wand_ to shish-kebob a damned snake.

"Aye, it be the Celt's blade and _caduceus_, but now, it be ye blade and _caduceus_."

Harry just stood there, speechless as he tried to process what the strange spirit had just told him.

"**SAY WHAT?**"

**Translation:**

_**Caduceus (Latin) **_**- wand**

_**Nakam-cius (youma-lingua) - **_**Intended, mate prior to being officiated**

_**Shisorn (youma-lingua) - **_**sisters**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 31: The Headmaster Plots**

Cold periwinkle blue orbs glared viciously at the unmoving statute of a flute playing satyr. The little man-goat had served as the Headmaster's personal door guard since none of the other sentient door guards suited then aged wizard's needs. The lecherous creature would not only serve as guardian to the Headmaster's chambers, but the mischievous imp also gladly served as his spy on his other professors and special visitors that would come to the school from time to time. While his slave was the perfect spy on his 'opposite', the little satyr was his perfect spy within the school halls; however, now, the blasted creature would not move when it was given the password. It became nothing more than a grotesque ornament without the ambient magic giving it life, much like the rest of the castle.

A pale knobby hand clutched tightly around his ancient Elder wand to the point that his pale-blue, spidery veins stood out against his ancient, parchment-like flesh. _How dare the castle turn against me! I am the Greatest Wizard of All Time!_ Dumbledor snarled as he gave his wrist a sharp snap and a jet of angry canary yellow light shot out from the ashen-gray wand.

The deserted corridor echoed with a violent explosion as the _Destruere_ spell, a spell of destruction, obliterated the lifeless statute into complete nothingness. Without giving much thought to the destruction of the once sentient being, the Headmaster stormed into his chambers.

He was livid, furious that all of his carefully laid out plans were beginning to unravel, and it was all because some insignificant waif had decided to develop a rebellious streak! And it was not just his Golden Goose that was becoming rebellious but all of the troublesome brat's friends as well, including the other whelp. Dumbledor knew that he was going to have to crush those rebellious tendencies before it spread to the other students. The brat's damned sense of independence kept him immune from the Headmaster's Thrall; the ancient wizard surmised. The thrall was a powerful and magical force that controlled the will of those of weaker mind and spirit. If the Headmaster could not break the urchin's mind then he would have to break the scamp's spirit.

Dumbledor paused as he thought about breaking the rogue's spirit… _again_. The ancient wizard had thought with the death of the scoundrel's godmutt that the brat would break and would come to him willingly for consolation, which would have solidify his position and role as the Chosen One's mentor! As Merlin was to Arthur, Dumbledor was to be to Potter, but now… Now…

"Damn that miserable waif! Who does he think he is?" Dumbledor snarled as he threw a round-bottom glass tumbler that he had poured himself moments ago against the wall, staining the stonewall with the dark colored brandy.

And after all the work he went into to ensure that the brat would witness the death of the one, who could free him from his Muggle relatives… but did that damned child break? No, the brat did not break.

Oh sure, the brat raged and hated, and it was perfect that that rage and hatred was directed toward his slave. Dumbledor had planned to use that rage and hatred to force the boy to come to him whenever his slave pushed the pathetic urchin too far. And he had counted on that rage to fester over the summer as the scamp was forced back to his Muggle relatives and was cut-off from the Wizarding World, but no! The thrice-damned, stubborn rascal had persevered! And done the most unthinkable thing that Dumbledor could think of … the bastard had dared to be cordial to his slave!

"I'm going to have to fix that as well." The old man sneered as he thought of how he could place the seed of doubt in regards to his slave's intentions of befriending the pathetic brat. Dumbledor then impatiently tapped his talon-like fingers against the deeply-lacquered wooden armrest of his overly plush throne, "But first, I must get rid of that bloody creature!"

Pushing himself back to his feet, Dumbledor stormed into his personal library. His library contained every rare book, tome, scroll and manuscript that was ever written by Wizarding Masters from every corner of Europe. This library was the source of his powers, and nothing could compare to it in the known Wizarding World. It took him most of his adult life to accumulate this great wealth, either through expenditure of wealth, never his own mind you, or through… less than… amicable means. It was here that the decaying Wizard hoped to discover the truth of the creature's origins. Perhaps, if he could discover what the creature was then he could scare the bumbling morons that were the Board of Governors into removing the creature for study, or more preferably for destruction.

Dumbledor sighed as he began his audacious task of finding the creature's origins.

As the hours weaned and the morn grew later, Dumbledor had finally discovered the truth of what the creature was. It was written within the ancient journals of the castle's fifth Headmaster. The ancient Headmaster wrote about a strange creature, who looked like any other child, would arrive with a group of gifted children to the school before disappearing back into the Forbidden Forest. The fifth Headmaster wrote of how often this strange little child would appear out of nowhere with a group of children over the years until one day the creature appeared seriously injured. After ensuring that the group of young witches and wizards that traveled with the creature was safe, the Homunculus had disappeared deep within the castle's halls; never to be seen again, and the Wizarding World had truly and fully separated from the Muggle World.

Unfortunately he could not find the reason behind the creature's creation; however, that mattered not to the ancient Wizard. What did matter was that now he had something… where one door closed, another opened or so went the silly Muggle expression. If his original plan for omnipotent control and domination of the Wizarding World did not work then he would have this creature, this Homunculus, as a back-up. As much as the idea of having the creature's immortal body appealed to the Headmaster, Dumbledor's arrogance and pride would not allow him to have a _female's_ form. However, to possess a body like this creature's, he would need to discover how it was created, which meant that he would need to study it. But how?

Dumbledor did not want to waste his own resources to fund his research, but of course, his main concern and issue was to gain custody of the creature without alerting the Ministry and that blundering twit of a Minister, who would no doubt have the creature destroyed on sight without even considering the possibilities of having the Homunculus.

As the Headmaster thought about who he could use for his endeavor in capturing the creature, a sharp tapping could be heard coming from his bedchambers. Annoyed that he was interrupted, Dumbledor entered his room with his wand at the ready. If it was another messenger owl from either the Ministry or a reporter, he was going to kill it.

The fireplace roared to life as soon as the chamber's Master arrived, just as Dumbledor spelled it to do shortly after the incident with the Sorting Hat. None had noticed, save for him, that just like the Sorting Hat, the castle had lost its magik.

Dumbledor's cold and empty eyes scanned his chambers and caught the sight of a tawny-brown New Guinea Hawk Owl. He narrowed his eyes.

"_Destruere_." Dumbledor hissed as he enjoyed the sight of the beautiful and yet deadly canary yellow stream of energy connecting with the Hawk Owl, and as he watched with extreme satisfaction as the night bird imploded in a rain of blood, bits and feathers, Dumbledor casually summoned the letter the stupid bird carried.

It was then that the Headmaster recognized the waxed letter seal as belonging to one of the lesser Lords. The Parkinson to be exact. Curious as to why one of the Lords would write to him at such an ungodly hour, Dumbledor broke the seal and began reading the letter.

There was not much to the letter that held the ancient Wizard's attention. He did not care for the lesser Lord's displeasure at learning about a foreign-born Mudblood being placed in Slytherin, and although he did not bother himself in learning the student's name, the Headmaster instantly knew of whom Lord Parkinson was protesting against. A strange little boy, whose family lineage he knew nothing of nor could the old Wizard gleam anything from the brat's mind. Rather than spending the time trying to figure out the brat's loyalties, Dumbledor just placed the small child with the Serpents, knowing that none from the other Houses would associate themselves with the brat afterwards and also knowing that those within his own House would bully the boy to either becoming like them or causing him to end his own pathetic existence. The Headmaster cared not for the outcome; however, he did take note that Lord Parkinson had just been appointed to Lord Malfoy's seat as one of the Board of Governors since the elder Malfoy was stripped of his rank and prestige after the conviction of assault on the Ministry last year.

The old man smiled with sadistic pleasure as he quickly formulated a plan to get the Board of Governors to finance his research. In his opinion, it would not be too difficult since the majority of the Board members were Lords and Ladies, and the nobility were notoriously hungry for immortality.

"Perhaps it is time for the Lords and Ladies of the Board to see the wonderful progress that the school has made under my leadership. Yes, I do believe it is time." Dumbledor cruelly smiled again.

Merrily humming to some inane melody, Dumbledor was pleased with himself at being able to quickly salvage his seemingly ruined plans. All he had to do now was to wait for Lord Parkinson to respond and gleam from the Lords and Ladies of the Board, who would be more than happy to be parted from their precious pieces of gold and silver in the quest for immortality. Dumbledor walked down the corridor, which lead to his office and was extremely pleased to find the stone gargoyle opening up for him when he arrived. He had been unable to gain access to his office since the Potter brat had gone missing during the Welcoming Feast nor could the Headmaster destroy the stone gargoyle as he had done with his own door guard. The stone gargoyle was a recognizable part of the castle as he was himself.

Walking straight into his office, Dumbledor silently sent out a spell-scan to search for intruders and to see if any of his possessions were missing. The Headmaster highly doubted that anything was out of place or missing since if _he_ could not gain entry into his office then no one else could have. Pleased that his assumptions were correct, the ancient wizard seated himself in his throne and waited for his professors to arrive. It was a tradition that he started once he became Headmaster decades ago, that all of his professors meet in front of him before joining the students for breakfast.

It was during these times that Dumbledor used to reassert his role as the omnipotent grandfather. He would instruct his professors to be kind and fair to the students and then he would give out crumpets of information of what should be their affair, such as today he would inform the faculty that the castle had created itself a doll so it could interact with the children. Yes, that would work. And then he would instruct them to not interact with the doll as a way to show the castle that its behavior was unacceptable. This way when the professors finally realized the creature missing, they would infer that the castle had ceased its games and returned to normal. Yes, that was an excellent plan.

Now, all he had to do was to wait.

His plans, his goals and his World were slowly coming to fruition.

**Translations:**

_**Destruere**__**(Latin)**_** - destroy**


	34. Chapter 34

_**Destruere**__**(Latin)**_** - destroy**_**Chapter 32: The Sword of Gryffindor**_

"It be ye blade and _caduceus_, now." Sir Edwin repeated, concerned that there might be something wrong with the young one's hearing.

"Oh! No! You're joking!" Harry shook his head as he stepped away from the spirit and sword.

"I jest not."

"No! No!" Harry insisted, "There's no way that the sword belongs to me! Especially now that I know it's a bloody wand!"

Sir Edwin tilted his head to the side with a slight frown.

"Ye wish not to claim what be ye's?" The spirit asked, not understanding the teen's objection to claiming the great blade.

"Wha? No, that's not what I'm saying!" Harry sighed as he raked a hand through his hair, "What I'm saying is that…" The young wizard sighed, "I don't know what I'm trying to say." Harry honestly replied as he plopped into his seat and leaned back, all the while rubbing his forehead in frustration.

"Wild One -"

"Harry." The raven-haired teen interrupted, "My name is Harry."

"Harry," Sir Edwin easily replied as he knelt before the troubled youth, "the blade and _caduceus _be ye's by Rite of Blood, _Ritus Blod_, as the Celt's Offspring. None can deny ye claim, not even the Headmaster if that be ye fear. Plus, this be a truth that most ignore, but it not be the wizard, who chooses the _caduceus_. It be the _caduceus _that chooses the wizard."

Slowly Harry sat up and leaned forward, his eyes never wavered from the spirit.

"I can't use it, Sir Edwin." Harry confessed, "My magik is strong, still growing… I…"

The young wizard bowed his head in shame as he quietly reached for the inside of his black tunic. Gently he pulled out a plain white handkerchief and began to open the neatly folded clothe. Once open, Harry revealed the remains of what was once he beloved wand. Laying in the palm of his hand were several charred fragments and splinters of holly wood that the young man remembered fondly of polishing whenever he was stressed. And amongst the ruined wood was a grotesquely charred single feather, a phoenix feather, Fawkes' feather. Taking a deep breath, Harry gently stroked each charred piece as he remembered the day his wand literally exploded in his hand.

It was during the summer, and he and Ginny were dueling up in the attic. During the whole duel, it was mostly a refresher for his _imoutsor_, and he had spent most of the duration dodging her various attacks when he suddenly wanted to test her defenses. Her offensive spells were well above par. In fact, he would even bet that she would receive an O on her DADA OWLS. Thus, he attacked. It was not a particularly powerful spell, just a typical stunner curse when suddenly his wand just exploded.

"Be ye injured when it happened?" Sir Edwin softly asked when he noted how tenderly the lad caressed his ruined wand, knowing that no amount of magik in the world could mend it, especially since the core was also destroyed.

"No… not really." Harry replied, "I wasn't physically harmed but emotionally… it was _my_ wand. A part of me, you know. We tried to fix it but nothing worked, but… now you understand why I can't use the sword… I can destroy it, and I don't want that to happen…"

Sir Edwin lightly chuckled as he finally understood the teen's hesitation.

"Aye, I understand." The spirit replied, "Ye know, Godric destroyed four of these _caducei _afore the goblin made the blade. Annoyed the Celt greatly, mostly since the wee splinters be biting his flesh. Not a pleasant feeling, I assure ye."

Harry suddenly looked up in surprise at Sir Edwin's intimate knowledge of one of his ancestors.

"The Goblins? They made the sword for him? As a wand? Why?"

"Aye, the goblins did. It be payment of gratitude as it be the Celt and I, who saved them from their deaths by a clan of dark dwarves." Sir Edwin explained, which made Harry very curious. He wondered what else the spirit knew in regards to the Wizarding World's early history.

"Okay. I can understand that, but why did Godric go through four wands?"

"The Celt be strong as ye be strong." Sir Edwin simply said as he stood up. "Do ye still fear for the blade's sake?"

"Godric was like me?" Harry asked in surprise and in awe, which caused Sir Edwin to grin knowing.

"Aye, but the Celt be not a Wild One as ye be." Sir Edwin replied, "The Celt's Sire be Belenus, and the Celt be a Half-Blood."

Twin brows rose high in surprise. The great Godric Gryffindor was a half-blood! Now, that was something! And for Harry, this simple little information about his seemingly god-like ancestor made Godric all the more real to the young man.

"Now, do ye still fear for the blade's sake?" Sir Edwin asked again.

"Yes." Harry answered as he took another deep breath, "My magik is strong. I'm afraid that it might be stronger than Godric's because of the fact that I'm still -"

"Growing? Aye, that be a sensible concern, but as a Wild One that be more of a concern. And it be why ye _need_ the blade." Sir Edwin interrupted with a dismissive shrug.

"What does that mean?" Harry finally asked, " 'Wild One'? Both you and Fawkes have called me that, but what does it mean?"

"Ah…" Sir Edwin quietly mumbled then continued, "Before the people of the land be reunited with the one true God, they knew of ye kind. To them, ye kind be Mother Nature's wild and untamed young, and that be very true. Ye be the Mother's wild, untamed and dark young."

Harry felt his jaw drop.

Sir Edwin had just confessed to the young demon Lord that he _knew_ what Harry was!

"You know? How? I'm wearing a concealment spell!"

At the teen's outburst, the spirit grinned.

"Ye cannot lie to the likes of me and Proserpina's Brood."

A silent frown marred Harry's face as he tried to understand the spirit's phrase of _Proserpina's Brood_ but could not for the life of him understand, but he _did_ understand one thing… The dead could see the truth of who and what he was; wearing any form concealment spells and glamours would be considered as a lie and the dead can see through it! Suddenly his eyes grew wide in horror at the realization that the other spirits in the castle could see his true form and _could _report it to Dumbledor!

"Shite!" Harry hissed, which surprised the spirit and Fawkes, who had been preening himself.

"What ails ye, Harry?"

"If the other spirits can see me, I mean really see me then they'll tell the Headmaster, who'll kill me in a heartbeat, regardless of the fact that I'm his fucking weapon against Riddle!"

Sir Edwin's obsidian black orbs narrowed at the teen's revelation. The spirit knew that if the truth was revealed about the youth's heritage then he would be hunted down and slaughter. It was a practice he had seen a few times in his own youth, and it was a practice he greatly abhorred, especially since the ancient Moor held great respect for the Wild Ones. And unfortunately, Sir Edwin had no way to assure the young wizard of his safety, especially since he himself did not know if the young man was safe. However, before he could voice a possible solution, the spirit watched wide-eyed as a handsome male emerged from the shadowed floor.

"_Shih'nus_." The shadow-male spoke with a calm tone.

Sir Edwin continued to watch with a calculating gleam in his eye as the young Wild One turned around in response.

||:The Old One approaches and he seem to be pleased.:|| _Kaguumb_ warned his Lord, who narrowed his emerald green orbs.

||:That can't be good if the bastard's happy.:|| Harry mumbled before glancing back to the mounted sword-wand. ||:What do you think, Siri?:||

||:I can scent power coming from the blade.:|| It was all Sirius had to say since he knew his Lord would accept the blade.

If what the spirit had said was true, which Sirius did not doubt since the dead do not tell tales, then it would be best for the sword to be in his Lord's possession rather than the aged Wizard's, regardless if the aged Wizard knew the truth about the blade or not.

Harry rewrapped the remains of his wand and tucked it safely in the confines of his tunic before he purposively approached the mounted blade of his ancestor. The blade gleamed in the candlelight almost as if it was aware that its Master approached. Without hesitation Harry reached up and firmly held onto the well-worn grip. Suddenly the young Northern Lord's eyes grew as he felt a surge of magik engulfing and surrounding him. It was much like when he first held his wand. It was as if he had found a piece of himself and that he was whole once again.

Then with a simple spell, Harry freed his sword-wand and held it before him for inspection. He growled deeply in displeasure at the poor care his blade had received under the Headmaster's custody. He would have to fix that and clean his blade later, for now he was entering a battle of wills and dominance.

With an absent-minded wave of his hand, Harry's magik conjured a belt and frog, a series of leather loops that carried the sword at the bearer's hip. As the young Mageling secured his sword-wand to his side, he mentally challenged the manipulative _yathus_ to come and fight, unaware that his mental challenge allowed the very person he challenged entry into the office.

**Translations:**

_**Caduceus, caducei (pl) (Latin)**_** - wand, wands**

_**Imoutsor (youma-lingua)**_** - younger sister**

_**Kaguumb**__**(youma-lingua)**_** - shadow**

_**Ritus Blod (Latin)**_** - Rite of Blood**

_**Shih'nus (youma-lingua)**_** - Lord**

_**yathus**__**(youma-lingua)**_** - bastard**


	35. Chapter 35

_**Chapter 33: The Headmaster's Power**_

Dumbledor merrily munched down on his lemon drops as he waited for his faithful professors to trickle in. Over the years, the Headmaster managed to set a pattern of which of his professors would arrive in a certain order. The professors, who were also in the Order of the Phoenix, save for his slave, would arrive first in hopes to catch some snippet of information of how the war against Tom was going; it gave them a sense of importance and superiority over the other professors. Then after his Order professors, the professors, who held no allegiance, would arrive, which would end any discussion of war since _these_ professors would prefer to believe that a war did not exist beyond the safe and isolated walls of Hogwarts Castle. And after them would be the professors, who were formerly Slytherin students, since they would have to travel clear across from the castle's dungeons.

Of course, Dumbledor knew that these former Slytherin students would always attempt to arrive early when they first became one of Hogwarts' professors; however, with a little help of the Headmaster's manipulative magik, they would naturally arrive late, which would eventually wear thin on the new professors to the point where they would no longer care. And with their natural prideful attitude, the Slytherin professors would never show their frustrations or embarrassment; thus, coming off as arrogantly late on purpose to the other professors.

_Such conditioned behavior…_ Dumbledor mentally purred in delight. If it were not for the conditioned behavior that he had cultivated in his students and professors, the ancient Wizard would not be enjoying the power that he possessed at that moment. And soon he would possess more power.

Of course, not all of his professors were "properly" conditioned. Naturally those few professors were "excused" from attending these "staff" meetings because it was an "inconvenience" to force them into an environment that made them feel uncomfortable or feel any way unwelcome.

"Albus!"

Dumbledor looked up and saw that several of his Order professors had arrived, a bit earlier than expected; however, he could live with that.

"Why! Minerva! How are you, my dear? Did you sleep well?" The Headmaster drawled out in a cordial manner.

"You know perfectly well that I did not!" Minerva hissed, but before the Headmaster could dismissively assure his Deputy about the morning's events, more and more of his professors arrived, including the Slytherin professors, on time.

Dumbledor suddenly narrowed his eyes as he realized that _all_ of his professors had arrived on time. The only exception were the professors he purposively ignored despite their importance to the school's classes. The ancient Wizard then settled his cold blue orbs on his slave, who just arrived with the creature. His knobby talons clutched tightly on the armrest of his throne as he noted how _pretty_ the creature was dressed, almost as if it was a real human child.

Dumbledor mentally sneered at the thought that his slave would doll up the blasted thing. The little beast wore a simple blue jumper over a pale pink sweater. It also wore white stockings with a pair of black penny-loafers. The damned thing even had a ribbon in its hair! Dumbledor watched it as it looked about his office, never straying too far from his slave. The blasted creature even had the gall to clutch onto the pant leg of his slave, much like a frightened child would with a parent. Dumbledor made a mental note to punish his slave for indulging the diminutive monster as if it was a human being.

"Severus!" Minerva shrieked in surprise as soon as she too saw the little abomination. She then began scolding the Potions Master, "How dare you bring that thing here? We have yet to discover its origins or its purpose!"

Suddenly the other professors turned to the ex-Death Eater to see what the ungrateful man had done now. Those who had responded to Gryffindor Tower when the castle shook remembered the little girl. They also remembered that Potter, their Savior, had done many despicable things to the said little girl. They began to wonder if perchance that the _Prophet_ might be right that the boy was becoming the next Dark Lord… While the chattering professors clucked amongst themselves like clucking hens, the professors who did not respond to the Tower just looked at the cute little girl as she tried to hide behind the surly man. However, soon, even these professors began to hear the horrible deeds that their supposed Savior have committed against the little child.

Dumbledor just sat back and watched as his loyal and faithful pawns began to dole out the brat's fate. The ancient Wizard was hard pressed to keep his malicious grin at bay. He could not believe his good fortune at having the professors so easily swayed. With them actually believing that the stupid little urchin had actually committed these horrible crimes, they would be more accepting with having the miserable waif submit to an extreme training regiment. After all, why would they concern themselves with the welfare of a tool, a weapon?

Slowly a sly grin graced the Headmaster's withered face as he absently wondered why his office had suddenly become unbearably warm and then…

"**HAVE YOU ALL GONE MAD?**" Severus bellowed as he could not believe what he was hearing.

His bellow startled the tittering cowards into silence. He could not believe that these grown adults would actually allow themselves to be so caught up in a fervor of madness that had started earlier that morning. He was gobsmacked as he heard the outrageous slander that his colleagues had thrown against Harry's person and character. Severus had glanced over to his Master to gauge the withering Wizard's reaction to these gossiping hens' words. He had mentally bristled at the realization that the old man was neither going to condemn nor condone these gossip-mongers.

In fact, if Severus was a betting man, he would bet that the conniving megalomaniac would use these outlandish rumors before the Wizengamot to make Harry the Headmaster's ward, which would effectively allow the old man to do whatever he pleased with Harry, even brainwashing and programming the young wizard to be a weapon, a mindless killing machine loyal to only the Headmaster. Severus knew that he could never let that happen.

No matter how much the younger wizard annoyed him, irritated him and just plain bugged the hell out of Severus, he could not let another become enslaved to Dumbledor… which was why Severus bellowed out.

"You are a bunch of blithering idiots if you actually believe that bloody Harry Potter could be capable of this nonsense!" Severus hissed as he glared at each of his colleagues, even glaring venomously at his Master. "All of you dithering around on obviously false accusations when there are _real_ issues to be concerned about!"

Severus stood tall and proud as he ignored his Master's glare. He was pleased to see that the other professors looked away, shamefaced. However, although pleased with himself, Severus could not shake the sudden sense that he was being watched, and that his 'watcher' was amused. _No… It couldn't be… Could it?_ The Slytherin thought as he consciously let his magik flow out to sense for any intruders. It was then he felt it… The all too familiar and welcoming wild darkness that belonged to only one person. It was masked so well that if Severus did not know what he was looking for, he would have missed it. _How in seven hells did he get in here?_

"_Mon Deus_!" Chauvelin purred, "What pazzion! Perhapz it's best zat we leave ze boyz fate to ze Headmazter, non?"

Dumbledor was not pleased that his slave had effectively destroyed his chances of using these rumors to gain custody of the brat; however, the ancient Headmaster gave his Demon Hunter an appreciative nod. He may not be able to use the rumors outright with the Wizarding Courts, but it would allow him some leverage over the damned miscreant with the other professors by assuring them that Dumbledor would keep a tight reign on the brat.

Severus felt the muscles in his back tightened as he sensed the Frenchman moving closer to him. And strangely enough, Severus found comfort in _his_ displeasure of the Frenchman's close presence.

"Go away, stinky-head!" Evie shouted as she gave the foreigner a menacing glare… Well, as menacing as a six year old can give.

"I zay we mus' learn of zis zing et dizcov'r wet'r or not it iz un dreat to ze children."

"You an ugly stinky-head!" Evie stuck her tongue out and gave the oily Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, who gave an ugly sneer as he drew out his wand, a raspberry.

"I zee zat kreatur need a lez'on in man'ers!" Chauvelin growled.

"I guess what they say about the French isn't true." Growled a dangerously seductive voice, startling everyone save for Severus, who just stared at the speaker in mild exasperation. "That the French are lovers and not fighters… Or perhaps they're just too plain stupid."

"**HARRY!**"

"Lord and Master Gryffindor!" Evie happily cheered as she ran to the young wizard, who gently picked her up into his arms.

"Good Morning, Lady Hogwarts, and how are you?" Harry asked with a small smile.

"I good! Master Prince named me Evie!" Evie answered then looked worried, "Does Master Shadow like Evie?"

"Evie, hunh?" Harry asked, which the little girl nodded. "Well, that's a pretty name, Evie. Professor Snape named you?"

"Yes! Lord and Master Slytherin did!" She cheered, which caused many of the professors to gasp in surprise and horror at what the strange creature had called the Potions Master.

Evie suddenly tried to make herself small as she heard the other professors gasp in horror. It made her wonder if she had done something wrong. She looked up at her Master Shadow with tears stinging her eyes.

"Master Shadow, did Evie say something bad?" She asked in a very small voice.

"Of course not, Little One." Severus answered in Harry's stead as he crossed his arms and glared at the other professors, "They're just a bunch of blithering dunderheads, who can't figure out that you call me such because I'm the Head of Slytherin House."

The faculty then made a series of _ah's_ and _oh's_ at Severus' explanation, and none bothered to notice that little Evie made a funny face as if she wanted to disagree, but she quickly closed her mouth and glared at the screechy-lady when she spoke.

"If that is the case, Severus," McGonagall began, "then that thing should be calling _me_ 'Lord and Master Gryffindor!' And not Potter."

Harry snorted in disbelief that his own Head of House would be so childish while Severus just rolled his eyes in irritation.

"Now is not the time for this." Severus sharply remarked as he turned back to his Master, who was very displeased with the course of events. Severus knew that he would be punished for his insolence, and quite frankly, the Potions Master did not care. He can sense his usefulness coming to an end, and when that time arrived, Severus knew that he would meet his end either in a light of Elysium green or in the bowels of a Dementor. He had accepted his fate; however, he was not going to go quietly. Not this time…

"Well then…" The Headmaster cooed as his periwinkle orbs twinkled with hidden malice, "I had wanted to warn you of what the castle had done, but now, that seems unnecessary. Now isn't it?"

The entire faculty then chuckled merrily as they easily accepted the Headmaster's words while Harry and Severus remained quiet.

"I advise you to just leave the little doll alone, and it will cause no harm. Isn't that correct, Professor Chauvelin?"

"_Oui_." The Frenchman replied.

Harry found himself holding onto Evie, fearful that if he let her go then the Headmaster would whisk her away right there and then.

Severus clenched his teeth as he realized that the Headmaster knew _exactly_ what the little girl was. He knew that his Master would allow the Homunculus to remain; however, only because he wanted to study it and observe it before the ancient Wizard struck.

"Good then there isn't much else to discuss and we -"

"There is still one issue that needs to be addressed." Severus interrupted the Headmaster, which caused the other professors to gasp in shock. It was not since that she-toad, Umbridge, had anyone dared to interrupt the Headmaster when he spoke.

Harry had to restrain himself from attacking the Headmaster when he noted the hateful glare that the ancient _yathus_ was sending to his _nakam-cius_.

"And what would that be, Severus?" Dumbledor questioned, his tone was devoid of any emotions.

"One of my students was attacked this morning."

"So?" McGonagall quipped.

"_So?_" Harry hissed when he heard his _own_ House Head dismiss the statement. "A student was _attacked!_ Don't you care? Or… is it because it's a _Slytherin_ student…"

"Mr. Potter!" The she-cat scowled, "It is not uncommon for Slytherin students to be wary of each other, even getting into physical altercations with one another. This is most likely a mere spat that got out of hand. Honestly, Severus, you of all people should know better than to get in a huff over some trifle thing!"

"I agree -" Another professor began.

"No!" Severus bellowed as he slammed his hands on the Headmaster's desk, and was awarded with a series of horrified shrieks from the other professors.

His blatant disrespect, in their eyes, was akin to blasphemy.

"The assault on Dominick is nothing to be ignored! Nor will it!" Severus growled as he continued his staring contest with the Headmaster, occluding his mind from the old man's not-so-gentle probes.

"Dominick? I don't know any Dominick." McGonagall sneered.

"No, of course not, why would _you_ care about my students, especially a First Year." Severus sneered back.

"**WHAT?**" Harry roared.

"The other little meanies hurt Little Turtle really bad." Evie mumbled as she tucked her head under her Master Shadow's chin.

"Now, now, Severus," The Headmaster cooed as his tone was laced with his usual hypnotic tone. It was then that Harry and Severus realized that they had lost this battle as the decaying wizard hypnotized all those around him to his way. "I am ashamed of you. Refusing to accept a foreign-born into your House. It is because of those prejudices that our world is in such turmoil. Now, the boy has been sorted into your House, and you must accept him."

As the Headmaster brought the issue to a close, the old man stood up, signaling the whole meeting and affair over. Everyone stood up and followed behind the Headmaster, much like a score of obedient little ducklings, leaving and ignoring Severus and Harry. Dumbledor was secure in the knowledge that all of his secrets were safe from the boy, and that the little she-monster would be his in short time.

It was not until all the professors had left before Harry lowered Evie to her feet and slowly approached his _nakam-cius_, who was bracing himself against the Headmaster's desk with his head bowed.

Severus knew that this would happen, but he also knew that he had to at least try. He had to try to petition for his godson's resorting, even though he was aware that no _real_ sorting had occurred. He had hoped to incite some of the professors, especially the few that truly saw what was going on, but he lost heart when he saw all of them become enthralled by the Headmaster's Thrall. Severus knew that his Master's Thrall was powerful; however, he also knew that the ancient Wizard's Thrall would not work if it went against one's morals. Severus had really, really believed that his colleagues would be appalled by the fact that a _child_ was attacked. After all, it went against nature and instinct to harm an innocent. But now… Now, he saw their true colors. They did not care. They did not care about anything outside their "perfect" little world. They would not bat an eye if one of _his_ students were killed on school grounds because they were evil Slytherins.

Suddenly Severus stilled and began to thrash as he felt someone hold him. He continued to thrash until he felt and heard purring. The noise and vibrations confused him because he could feel his body calm, and he could feel Harry's magik encase him in a calm and protective cocoon. Severus wanted to resist and curse the young man for giving him peace. Severus did not deserve peace.

"What have you done to me, Potter?" Severus questioned as he felt his body lean against Harry's own lithe frame.

"Nothing, _wata neus nakam-cius._" Harry whispered as he nuzzled his _nakam-cius_' neck, giving it light licks of affection.

Severus shuddered.

"Never heard that language before." The Dark Wizard confessed, trying to collect his thoughts and get away, but the other's attentions to his neck continued to befuddle the Potions Master.

"It's magik." Harry grinned, pleased that he found one of Severus' special spots.

Severus snorted then managed to gain enough of his wits to move. Reluctantly he moved away from the troublesome male. Severus could not find the strength within himself to glare at the younger wizard, who just stood there patiently.

"Which one is Dominick."

"What?" Severus was thrown off guard by Harry's sudden question.

"Which one is Dominick." Harry said again, "Just tell me who he is, and I'll take him in."

"Again… what?"

Harry smiled. He really did like the confused expression which graced his _nakam-cius_'face. It made him look younger, and dared he think it, cute.

"There's nothing in the school rules and regulations that says a student _has_ to stay in the House they've been sorted in." Harry began then mumbled, "Even there wasn't an official sorting to begin with."

"Your point."

"I'm staying in an empty apartment away from the other mangy lions. Dominick can stay with me and be protected." Harry explained, "And it's not just me in the apartment. Mina, Gin', Luna and Nev' are sharing the apartment with me, so you don't have to worry about me infecting the little one with my Gryffindor idiocy."

Severus just stared at the idiot, who was grinning like a loon, in front of him. Severus darkly chuckled as he raked his hand through his black locks, but immediately pulled his hand away when he noticed Harry's green orbs darken with desire.

"I suppose this is a one time offer. Take it or leave it." Severus cleared his throat, distracting his own thoughts of having the pain-in-ass run his fingers through Severus' hair. It was a weakness of his of having someone run their hand through his hair.

"Hunh?" Harry blinked from his fantasy of running his claws through his _nakam-cius_'silky locks, "Oh! No! Go ahead, and talk with the kid. It's, after all, his decision to move in with us or not. Just let me know when you come to a decision."

"Very well." Severus replied and began to walk away when Harry called out again. Severus paused as he looked over his shoulder.

"We're still on for detention tonight?" The Gryffindor wizard asked cheekily.

"Yes." Severus replied hesitantly.

"Great! It's a date then!"

"Wha - What?" Severus stammered as he watched the infuriating young man race by. By the time Severus had recovered from his shock, he found himself alone with Evie and surprisingly looking forward to tonight… He was going to make his pain-in-the-ass regret ever teasing him. Slowly a dark and feral smirk graced the Slytherin's face as he walked down to the Great Hall.

**Translations:**

_**Mon Deus (French)**_** - My God**

_**nakam-cius (youma-lingua)**_** - Intended, mate prior to being officiated**

_**Oui (French)**_** - yes**

_**wata neus nakam-cius (youma-lingua)**_** - my mate**


	36. Chapter 36

_**Chapter 34: Drama at the Great Hall**_

Ginny found herself racing back to Gryffindor Tower, not believing what she had done. Her heart pounded like a stampeding herd of hippogryphs. She raced up the winding steps with ease and slipped past the Fat Lady, who naturally huffed at the young witch's rudeness. Once the portrait slammed shut, Gin found herself leaning against the magical portal. Not in the least out of breathe but still wanting to calm her excited heart.

"Ginny?"

"Gin, Luv, what's wrong?" Two familiar voices called as the young redhead looked up and saw her two girlfriends, Sally and Nina.

Gin was giddy with excitement that she could no longer contain her glee. She let out a delightful squeal as she rushed her closest friends and enveloped them in a troll hug. The two girls were surprised by their friend's sudden display of unbridled joy, but they quickly dismissed it and accepted the hug. Whatever made their friend happy, they were happy for her, and soon they returned her hug with one of their own. Suddenly Gin pulled away and held each of their hand as her face held an infectious grin.

"You'll never guess what I did!" Ginny stated with delight.

"What? What did you do?" The two girls asked at once, causing Ginny to giggle even harder.

"I just flirted with the beautiful Ice Dragon!" Ginny exclaimed.

Sally gasped in surprise while Nina bore a thoughtful expression as the two girls immediately knew of whom their long time friend was talking about. After all, it did not require a lot of imagination to decipher 'Ice Dragon'. Practically every girl in Hogwarts had called the Slytherin Prince 'Ice Dragon', especially since his own name meant 'dragon' in Latin, at one time or another.

But… The blonde wizard was forbidden fruit. Every girl, including Nina and Sally, at one time or another had a crush on the Slytherin wizard. Not only was he beautiful, but he was also the 'bad boy'. He exuded a dangerous air, which would excite any girl around him. And of course, the fact that he was rich also added to his appeal but… the Ice Prince of Slytherin was still a Slytherin, whose own father was a known Death Eater, and no one doubted that the younger Malfoy would be one as well.

It was then that Gin noticed her friends' concerned and thoughtful expressions. A small frown marred her face as she took another step back.

"Guys, what's the matter?" Ginny asked as she watched her friends closely.

Sally and Nina then looked at one another before Sally sighed as she slowly approached her friend.

"Gin, I know that you really like Malfoy. Almost every girl in school likes him, but he's not right for you. You know that." Sally stated, which caused Gin to cross her arms across her chest and made her frown more pronounce.

"And why is that?' Ginny demanded.

"Come on, Gin," Sally rolled her eyes, "You very well know why."

"No, I don't." Ginny remarked, "Please enlighten me as to why my feelings for someone are wrong."

Ginny had a suspicion as to why her friends would object to her flirting with Draco, and quite frankly, she did not care about status, heritage or creed. After all, she was blood-bonded to a _demon_, a creature believed to be the ultimate dark creature. If anyone knew about that then she would have received the Dementor's Kiss faster than one can say _Avada Kedavra_, since it was also believed that any human, who would bond with a demon, was no longer considered to be human.

Ginny, however, just could not believe that her own friends, whom she thought were open-minded, would begrudge her flirtatious moment with the blonde wizard. Of course, it was a moment that she would cherish always because … Why would the beautiful wizard be interested in _her, _a homely-looking and penniless Weasley? However, she kept that dark thought away from tainting her precious memory.

"Because! He's a Slytherin! That's why!" Sally exclaimed as if it was the most obvious explanation in the world.

"What silly twaddle." An aloof voice interjected, causing the three girls to turn around in surprise.

"Morning Luna!" Ginny greeted with cheer as she saw her pack-mates coming down the stairs from Mina's apartment.

"Good Morning, Dear Sister!" Luna greeted with a casual glance to her pack-sister's unique and yet beautiful clothing.

"Hey Nev', Mina!" Ginny greeted as she approached her pack.

"Morning Gin." Mina replied then noticed the troubled expressions on the redhead's two friends. "Is something wrong?"

"No, they're just blathering nonsense." Gin replied with a dismissive wave, wanting to leave the Common Room.

"Nonsense?" Nina exclaimed hotly.

"Ginny!" Sally gasped, "How could you say that? You were fraternizing with Draco Malfoy!"

"Sally…" Ginny whispered as she looked at her friend with dull eyes. Her arms immediately hugged herself as she shrunk away from her two friends and closer to her pack.

"How dare you!" Luna hissed angrily as she, they, heard the other witch's implications.

Mina and Neville immediately wrapped their arms around their pack-sister as they tried to give her comfort.

"Sally, how could you say that?" Gin whispered from the comforts of her pack-brother and -sister's arms. "How could you of all people suggest something so vile about me?"

"What?" Sally gasped then blanched in horror at what her careless words had insinuated. She had not meant it. Not in that way. Granted that the word 'fraternize' meant to socialize with people, especially if viewed as socially unacceptable, but it also meant to have sexual relationship against regulations; however, among the Wizarding community, to be accused of such actions meant that one was collaborating with the enemy, and to the girls and to the majority of the student populations, Draco Malfoy was the enemy. And Sally had just implied that Ginny was with the enemy.

"Ginny… I…"

"Oh! Come on, Gin! You know that's not what Sally meant!" Nina interjected, "But that's what everyone else is going to think. Including your brother!"

"Now, that's bullocks!" Neville voiced as he looked at the two girls in disappointment, "Harry wouldn't care, save if Malfoy would ever hurt Gin! And that's a horrible thing to say! Using her love for her brother to twist her to your way of thinking!"

Nina just looked at the timid wizard, wondering when he had gone wonkers. She never mentioned Harry and yet the near Squibb-like wizard made it sound as if Harry had more authority over her friend than her own flesh and blood. Nina knew this was not possible despite the fact that the Weasley Clan had practically and yet unofficially adopted the Chosen One as one of their own. Only blood had authority over the red-haired witch. She was about to correct the older wizard when Ginny started speaking again.

"_On'frat_, stop." Ginny called. "Leave them be."

"But why?" Neville asked and became worried by the sight of the dull look of sadness that caressed her usually vibrant eyes.

"It doesn't matter." Gin replied then stood tall with her head held high. "It's not as if someone of Draco's status would ever consider me, a blood traitor, as a mate. After all, we all have duties to our stations to fulfill."

Then she walked out of the Tower followed by her pack-brother and -sisters.

All the while the Pack and the two witches argued none were aware of another having overheard them and disappearing back to the dorm-rooms as rage filled his heart.

The Pack made their way to the Great Hall and noticed that none of their professors had arrived, which told them that the professors and their _on'frat_ were still in the Headmaster's Office. They quietly sat down at the Table of Lions, ignoring the odd looks they were receiving because of Luna being among them. Even though it was not a written rule, it was a common practice that students of the past and the present would remain with their own houses. It was a tradition that no one ever had the inclination of breaking until now…

As soon as the little Pack sat down, a delicious assortment of fresh fruits, cheeses, meats and biscuits appeared before them. Their eyes grew wide as they saw the assortment of food and juices. They looked around and noted the table's queer stares, since most tables were laden with greasy bacon, sugary pancakes and waffles and buttery eggs, but no one dared to utter a word to the small Pack. While the rest of the table dug into their lard-laden breakfast, the Pack cautiously began eating their delicious platter. After taking a few bites of their food, the Pack found themselves relaxing as they passed and shared food with one another.

"Will you be alright, Gin?" Neville suddenly asked as he gently brushed his arm against her's, giving his support through touch.

Ginny smiled as she watched her brother and sisters closely, looking for signs of fever, but found none at the moment. The young redhead knew that it would be a matter of time. As Harry had explained it to her, after he had discussed the situation with his Healer in _Ma-Terrarum_, the demonic blood would course through their veins to find any hidden abilities that slept in their blood and awaken it.

"I will be as long as I'm with my family." She confessed then sipped out of Neville's cup before the brunette downed the rest of the sweet flavored liquid.

"Do you really like him?" Mina asked as she finished her third biscuit. "This is good. I wonder what it is."

"_Haita_." Ginny looked down at her hands. She took a deep breath as she looked up with resolve in her jadeite green orbs, and for a brief moment, she could have passed off as Harry's true sibling. "However, I know he will not have me."

"And why not, Dear Sister?" Luna asked as she absently pushed another of those sweet biscuits towards Mina, who happily began nibbling on it.

Gin gave her aloof Charlie a sad smile as she replied.

"I was not lying about each of us having duties to our stations that we must fulfill."

"Harry wouldn't care, and you know that." Mina stated then looked up to see the professors entering the Great Hall, "Harry will be here soon."

The others looked up and mentally agreed with their sister's observation. Silently they came to an agreement to drop the conversation for a later time as they waited for their Alpha's return. They continued their breakfast and began to idly wonder what the school year would hold when suddenly the Great Hall erupted by an echoing roar.

"**YOU TRAITOROUS BITCH!**"

"Dray-Baby!" Blaise cheered as he approached his long time friend, knowing that it would irk the young blonde. Fully prepared for a glare or even a curse, Blaise, however, was shocked and nearly was scared to death when he saw his best friend just merrily smiling at him.

"Good Morning, Blaise!" Draco cheerfully replied as he continued enjoying his morning pumpkin juice.

Blaise took a step back, colliding into Gregory Goyle, who held onto the startled ebony-toned wizard.

"Something wrong?" Goyle quietly grunted. The large wizard had such a deep and soothing voice that it was hard to imagine such a voice would come from someone with his thick physique.

"Hey B! Gregory!" Greeted a sweet voice from beside the Slytherin Ice Prince's side.

"Dominick." Gregory replied as he seated himself beside his leader. It was then that the larger wizard noted the airy expression on his usually stoic friend. This caused a brow to arch as he realized what had startled the other wizard.

Blaise moved to the other side of Dominick, knowing that if Malfoy's good cheer was a new tactic to lower his guard then Draco would have to get around Dominick to strike. However, Draco just ignored him as he reached for a piece of toast and began lathering the piece of bread with butter and marmalade.

"Hey Dom…" Blaise whispered into Dominick's ear, "What's up with Draco? He didn't react; he _always_ reacts!"

"Hunh?' Dominick blinked owlishly as he looked at the other wizard, who just nodded his head toward the dazed Draco before digging into his eggs. The younger Slytherin then looked at his brother, who had a far-away glaze in his eyes. Suddenly it dawned on the young boy at what made his brother act this way. Dominick made a face as he muttered about girls and girls making boys all 'twitter-pwatted'.

Twin black brows rose high as he heard the little First Year. Blaise may not know what 'twitter-pwatted' meant, but if it was a girl that was making their usually closed-off friend to grin like a loon then it could be only one girl in question. Before he could ask, another voice came screeching into everyone's ears as painfully thin arms draped over Draco's shoulders. Instinctively Blaise pulled Dominick away from the pair before the First Year was accidentally harmed.

It was as if a candle was just snuffed out that Draco reacted to the offensive banshee's shrills and touch.

Draco shot out of his seat when he felt the pair of clammy arms wrap themselves around his neck while a hot and sour breathe brushed against his ear as the piercing voice nearly shattered his eardrums. Once he calmed his racing heart, Draco glared at the offensive witch. The Malfoy Lord hated to be touched, thanks to the previous Lord Malfoy, especially if he was not forewarned. And he particularly hated to be touched by the feeble-minded she-snake. The only ones he tolerated touching him were naturally his mother, his godfather and of course, his baby brother.

"Oh! Drakey-poo!" Pansy shrilled as she attempted to look at him with doe-full eyes, but ended up looking more like a beached fish. "I was so worried about you! I was afraid that that nasty little Mudblood had hurt you!"

Draco clenched his fist tightly, causing his nails to dig deep into his palms. He restrained himself from slapping the stupid wench for insulting his brother. Regardless if she deserved it, Draco refused to raise his hand against any female. He was _not_ Lucius.

"Hold your tongue!" Draco growled at the lanky haired witch, who sniffed offensively.

"Why?" She questioned, "It's only the truth. The stupid chit that bore it should be ashamed of herself to allow such a savage to touch her!"

Draco and his friends were stunned at their Housemate's callous words; however, Dominick was not quiet when he heard the skinny girl insulting his mother and father.

"Shut up! You ugly cow!" Dominick spat out, snapping Draco out of his shock.

"You shut up! You disgusting little savage. She should have used a hanger!" Pansy hissed.

Draco felt something snap in him. As he was about to slap the vile witch, regardless of the oath to himself, another effectively backhanded the girl, who shrieked in hysterics when she saw Blaise standing in front of her.

"Oh! My dear Dominick!" Cooed another witch as she gathered the startled First Year into her arms and began smothering him in her large bosom. "Oh! My poor, poor dear Dominick! Tell Millie where it hurts! Millie will make it all better! Those horrible brutes! Those disgusting pigs! Oh! My poor baby darling!"

Millie wailed on as she rocked back and forth, drawing attention away from Draco and Blaise, both of whom looked akin to a white and black dragon on the verge of destruction. Draco gave his dark-skinned friend a nod of appreciation; however, Blaise did not see it for his attention was solely focused on the sniveling little girl in front of him. He was furious that she could say anything of the sort. Life was precious. He held this truth closely to his heart, not just because he was a healer but because his own mother could no longer bare any more children. And he knew that she longed to have more but could not due to a cruel twist of fate.

Before the ebony wizard could lash out again, Pansy found her courage and quickly fled the Great Hall; however, not before she bumped into Crabbe, who glared at her angrily. The larger wizard did not like it when someone made his friends angry. It made _him _angry. Crabbe made a grab for the girl, but she quickly ran away. Annoyed that the coward had fled, he turned his attention back to his friend, who was trembling with barely contained rage. Crabbe then reached out for Blaise and clasped a massive hand on the slender teen's shoulder. Instantly Blaise took a calming breath and smiled appreciatively at the larger wizard. The two then turned around to see if they could do anything for their blonde friend when Blaise covered his mouth to keep from bursting out laughing.

Draco had just turned around to check on his brother after what that she-snake had said only to find his younger sibling being smothered by his buxom friend. His brow twitched in aggravation as he suddenly remembered his friend's interest in younger wizards. He knew that she preferred Second to Third Years, but when she met Dominick on the train, she had sworn that she had fallen in love with the First Year. Oh! How he wanted to smack the brunette witch but he could not.

"Uhm… Miss Millie?" Dominick called as he was uncertain about the girl's sanity.

"Oh! You're so cute!" She squealed as she hugged him even tighter.

"Millicent!" Draco growled.

"Yes?" She replied as she released her hold and sat down at the table, not bothered by the fact that her blonde friend wished to hex her six ways to Tuesday. She then looked up, ready with a cheeky retort to calm his ire; however, her retort remained silent as she noticed her friend's hair up in a ponytail, which was an uncustomary thing for a Wizarding Lord to do with their hair.

"Don't flirt with Dom!" Draco hissed as he returned to seat with his friends.

"Oh! Pish-posh!" She waved her hand dismissively, "You know I'm just joking."

"Are you?" He countered.

"Well…" She trailed then grinned, "By the way, love the hair. It's very dashing! It gives you a roguish debonair look."

Draco sighed as he knew that he would never get an honest answer out of his friend.

"I have to agree." Blaise commented as he eyed his friend. "What made you decide to put it up?"

Draco just shrugged.

"I just put it up and forgot about it." He coolly answered, hoping they would drop it.

"Liar!" Dominick said, "It's because the pretty girl said she liked it this way."

"Dominick!" Draco warned, but it was too late. The others had heard him as they suddenly looked at Draco with mischievous glints in their eyes, which made the Slytherin Head Boy very nervous.

"Which girl?" Blaise cooed.

"Uhm…" Dominick sat up taller as he looked for the pretty redhead. Immediately he found her at the far table with three others, enjoying a large assortment of delicious food. "That one! The redhead!"

Millie and Blaise were grinning like a pair of Cheshire cats, and Draco knew that he was about to be teased mercilessly when suddenly…

"**YOU TRAITOROUS BITCH!**"

**Translations:**

_**Haita (youma-lingua) - **_**yes**

_**Ma-Terrarum (youma-lingua) - **_**Demon World**

_**On'frat (youma-lingua) -**_** older brother**


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 35: Crime and Punishment..?**

"Ronald Billius Weasley!" Ginny gasped, "Watch your language!"

"Watch my language?" Ron bellowed as his face took on an unhealthy shade of mauve, and he glared at the young witch, "How dare you! You slut!"

"**WHAT?**" The Pack growled as they stood up defensively.

Neville moved closer to his sister. His body tense, ready to jump in front of the young witch if the other redhead attacked.

"Stay out of this, Squibb!"

This caused the other students at the table to gasp in shock, even though it was an accepted belief among the House of Lions that the timid wizard was more akin to a Squibb than an actual wizard, none of them would actually call the brunette a 'Squibb'. But they did nothing to stand up for their timid Housemate, save for sit there and watch.

The professors were dazed by the sudden argument between the two siblings but remained seated in place while the Headmaster watched curiously as to what could make one of his pawns to break decorum and if he could possibly use it to his advantage.

Neville just stood tall as he dared the red-haired male to attack.

Ron just spat at the usually timid youth before returning his heated face on his younger sibling.

"You little slut! How dare you sully my good name?" Ron accused as he took a menacing step forward.

Neville instinctively stepped in front of his sister, who glowered at the redhead wizard.

Mina suddenly stepped back as fear racked her body. She had never seen such violence nor hatred in the redhead wizard before, not even during the summer.

Luna, meanwhile, was restraining her Third Eye from revealing itself in her anger. And although she kept her Eye hidden, her magik reached out and caused all the silverware to violently tremble and warp.

"Sully your good name?" Ginny retorted. "You, first, have to have a good name, Ronald! Which you don't!"

"Why you little whore!" Ron yelled, "I turn my back away from you for a second and you immediately spread your legs for Death Eaters!"

"**WHAT?**" Ginny paled while the others were boggled at the outlandish accusations.

Ron saw Neville drop his guard in shock at the redhead's proclamation as he rushed forward with his cast arm raised high to strike the girl down.

Neville suddenly realized Ron's charge as he attempted to push Ginny away and prepared himself for the blow.

It never came.

There was a scream of terror from one of the other tables.

Neville was sprawled on top of his sister, using his body to protect her's.

Luna and Mina called out to their brother and sister as the two on the ground looked up and spotted four dainty black booted paws approach them.

Neville knew of only one person, who had such paws, and he sighed in relief.

"Sirius." Neville whispered as he slowly stood up.

Sirius mewled his response before returning his attention to his Lord and Brother.

Neville followed his gaze and was not at all surprised by what he saw. Neville helped Gin to her feet and stepped back, in case Harry decided to flip his prisoner onto his back… At least, the redhead would land on the stone ground rather than on them.

Harry stood before everyone, regal as any noble man. He held in his hand Ron's cast arm. His grip was goblin-tight as Ron struggled in vain to free himself. Harry then tightened his grip again, crushing the protective cast-casing and squeezing the tender flesh. Ron paled at the pain and realization of Harry's strength.

"Ronald," Harry simply said as he stared at the redhead, "care to explain."

"Fuck you!" Ron yelled, "This doesn't concern you!"

"Oh?" An elegant brow arched, reminiscent to Severus arching a brow.

"Yes!" Ron shrieked as Harry squeezed again, signaling his disagreement.

"You were going to hit our sister, Ronald." Harry stated rather than asked.

"She's not yours!" Ron growled, "She's mine to do as I please! You have no fucking family!"

Ron gave out another horrifying scream, much akin to a pig to the slaughter, as he felt his bones being crushed.

"She is equally my sister as she is yours." Harry proclaimed, ignoring everyone as they watched the drama unfold.

"No! She's mine! You bastard!" Ron screamed, "I can do with her as I please! I am her brother!"

"No." Harry calmly countered.

"Yes! That whore sullied my name!"

Suddenly Ron's eyes rolled to the back of his head as Harry squeezed again, effectively breaking Ron's arm… again.

"**MR. POTTER!**" The Headmaster bellowed, but Harry ignored him as he whispered the Eniverate charm, which brought Ron back to consciousness.

"No one has the power or ability to sully your name, Ron, save for yourself." Harry calmly stated as he stared at the trembling rodent before him.

"Fuck you!" Ron spat out between clenched teeth as spittle drooled down the teen's ashen-grey face.

"**MR. POTTER!**" Dumbledor roared again, sending out his outrage through his Thrall.

It held no affect on the half-demon teen.

"I rather not, ita-mu."

Ron, for a desperate moment, forgot about his pain as he tried to punch the raven-haired teen but quickly learned that there was a new level of pain of which he had never experienced until now.

With a simple twist of his wrist, Harry brought the sniveling mangy lion even lower on his knees.

The demon within wanted to show this pathetic flesh of mortal that he was Alpha and that he was to be obeyed. /Submit! Male submit!/ The beast growled deep within Harry's soul. And as the beast howled its demand, Harry wanted nothing more than to beat the redhead to a bloody pulp for daring to call their sister a whore and for daring to strike her. Harry was of the opinion and belief that unless a female was fighting you or trying to kill you, one should never raise a hand against a female, especially a female-kin.

"That's enough, Potter." A cool voice drawled over the lull of the bloodlust.

Instead of finding himself in the haze of a blood rage, Harry instantly found his senses focusing on the sweet scent of orange blossoms and the soothing baritone burr. Harry took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the calming scent of his nakam-cius.

"**MR. POTTER! RELEASE MR. WEASLEY THIS INSTANT!**" Dumbledor ordered, not realizing that it was his slave, who reached the rebellious miscreant in his daze.

It was then that Harry realized the Headmaster's presence. Although still clutching to Ron's twice broken arm, Harry glared over his shoulder. Suddenly his emerald green orbs narrowed as his sensitive nose picked up an odd scent coming off the Headmaster. A scent he had noticed before. It was a sickly sweet odor and yet at the same time rotten. It was such an odd scent that for a moment, Harry forgot about the redhead wizard and focused entirely on the ancient wizard. There was something amiss about the Headmaster, and it was not just now that Harry noticed. It was also during the entire summer. There was something… off about the old man that Harry could not place it, and it was irritating the young demon Lord, like an annoying itch between the shoulder blades… one moment gone, and the next, there… out of reach. Harry mentally frowned at the thought. Well, if I can't reach it then maybe someone else can. The young Lord thought as he stepped away from the whimpering mass that was Ron.

Several Gryffindor professors rushed over to Ron's aide while trying to give the raven-haired wizard a wide berth.

Ron looked up and gave the other teen a weak glower to which Harry snorted in disgust. He had seen half dead Death Eaters give better glares.

"A word of advise…" Harry's voice was empty, devoid of life and emotions, "Keep hiding behind the Headmaster's skirt, Scabbers… that is if you wish to live."

"**HAROLD JAMES POTTER!**" Dumbledor bellowed, "**THAT IS ENOUGH!**"

Harry just stared at him with cool indifference. He was going to learn the old man's secret, and he was going to bring an end to the Headmaster's 'benevolent' tyranny.

"**POTTER!**" The Headmaster screamed when Harry turned around, dismissing the older man as if he was nothing more than a mere servant.

"Potter…" That sweet voice burred quietly, catching the teen's attention better than any shout.

Harry glanced over his shoulder again and saw his nakam-cius give a bare nod. Harry understood what Severus was trying to convey, and he did not like it. He did not want to stay and 'pretend' to submit to the old fool's will. He did not want to stay and 'pretend' to be the Boy-Who-Lived. With a slight twitch of his nose, Harry focused on the old man, silently demanding for the Headmaster to get on with it.

"**DETENTION! AND SUSPENSION FROM CLASSES!**" Dumbledor decreed, which caused a cascade of gasps and murmurs of shock and surprise. "**UNTIL YOU CAN CONTROL THAT TEMPER! I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU NEAR THE STUDENTS!**"

Harry's eyes glowed in anger.

"Now, you care about the students' well-being? Or is it because he's a Gryffindor?" Harry jeered, "Lest not forget that a First Year was physically attacked and injured and yet you will do nothing about it..."

Suddenly the students' mumblings became louder as color drained from the Headmaster's face. Harry just smirked then mockingly bowed.

"I will accept my punishment." Harry purred then turned and left the Great Hall.

Immediately the Pack trailed behind their Alpha. As Luna was the last one to walk past the threshold, she turned around with her wand at the ready.

"Accio Timetables!" The petite blonde hummed as several scrolls flew from various professors to her awaiting hand, and as she disappeared into the dark corridor, the Great Doors slammed shut with a thunderous roar.

**Translations:**

**Accio (Latin) - Come**

**Eniverate (Latin) - Revive**

**ita-mu (youma-lingua) - weasel **

**nakam-cius (youma-lingua) - intended, mate before being officiated**


	38. Chapter 38

_**Chapter 36: The Council of Shadows**_

Once away from the peering eyes of the other students and professors, Harry instinctively shadow-walked away. His Pack gave chase and instantly found themselves in a beautiful grotto, a very large cavern. The ceiling and walls were high and wide that none would suffer from claustrophobia. Along one side of the cavern walls appeared to be a series of carved out shelves, sturdy to hold just about anything. In the far side of the cave, there was a large, natural niche which held an extremely large pile of pelts and hay. Harry made a straight bee-line to the pelt-bed and plopped unceremoniously face first on it. The others followed suit, being mindful of the large hearth in the middle of the compacted ground. It was obvious to the small Pack that the ground was well worn since the mud and hay were grounded under heavy foot traffic to create a sturdy flooring of mud bricks from a long and forgotten time. Absently the girls thought of how nice the floor would be with a few rugs and soft pelts here and there as they climbed onto the surprisingly soft pelt-bed and laid themselves on top of their Alpha's prone form. While the girls comforted their Lead, Neville and Sirius seated themselves around their pack-mates.

"Hm mo morri muh muhun my hmher, hmm." Harry stated, but his words were muffled by the thick furs.

The others grinned as they looked to their stoic brother, who had a small downward twitch of his lips.

"He sorry." Sirius' low voice translated the muffling.

Harry then lifted his head up, taking a deep breath.

Feeling the slight shift in their pack-brother's muscles, the girls sat up and watched Harry right himself up. As he sat cross-legged in the middle of his Pack, Harry rubbed his forehead to stem off the beginnings of a headache. It was then that the others noticed the silver great sword.

"Harry!" Ginny gasped in surprise as she recognized the blade that had saved her life during her First Year. "Why are you wearing Gryffindor's sword?"

"That's Gryffindor's Sword?" The others gasped as they looked upon the fabled great sword of one of the great Four Founders.

"Yeah," Harry mumbled, "apparently it was also my ancestor's wand, and now it's mine."

"Really now!" Mina questioned in astonishment as she suddenly became curious as to how a sword could be a wand. Immediately her mind conjured up questions and theories, but refrained from saying anything because she knew that now was not the time.

"Yeah…"

"Curious…" Luna murmured, "Why hasn't anyone noticed your dress? And more specifically, the fact that you're carrying that Sword?"

"Yes, I would think that Dumbledor would notice it missing." Neville remarked.

"First of all, I'm wearing a glamour. It's not powerful. Just enough to let people's mind to infer to what I'm suppose to be wearing." Harry answered as he rested his chin on his fisted hand. "As for my wand, Dumbledor will know soon enough, and when he challenges for it back, I'll let him know that it's mine by _Ritus Blod_."

"Rite of Blood…" Mina whispered, "The Headmaster can't challenge that! It's the oldest heredity laws that not even the Ministry can touch or amend."

"Well, that's good news for us." Harry replied. "But unfortunately, it'll also bring more attention to me than I want…"

"Yes, the _Ritus Blod_ would bring unnecessary attention to us…" Luna murmured, which caused Harry to arch a brow. "It is known that Lord Godric Gryffindor had no children." She explained.

"Interesting…" Harry replied, "I'll need to speak with my source…"

"Could they have lied?"

"No." Harry stated with conviction, leaving no doubt within Luna's mind that this source was credible.

"Then that would be best." Luna agreed with her Alpha.

"Okay," Ginny interjected, "then what are we doing to do when the Headmaster challenges for the sword back?"

"There might be a way…" Neville quietly mumbled then looked up, "It's common knowledge that the sword was made by the goblins, and goblins recognize ownership through a right of combat."

"Yeah… it was a gift for saving them from the dark dwarves." Harry absently replied as he thought of the pros and cons with Neville's idea.

Silence suddenly fell over the group as the Pack looked upon their Lead.

"What?" Harry blinked in confusion once he felt his Pack's eyes on him.

"Your source?" Luna asked.

"Yeah… Is there a problem?" Harry frowned.

"No!" Mina exclaimed, "It's just that … there's nothing in the history books that would explain why the goblins commissioned a sword for a wizard, especially since at that time goblins kept out of the affairs of humans."

At this the others nodded in agreement. Harry's frown became more pronounced as he glanced back to Sirius, who too held a slight frown on his face.

"I wonder what else your source can tells us about the Founder's Era!" Mina suddenly whispered in rapt awe. As much as she wanted to beg for her Alpha to have his source speak with them and teach them their own history, she knew that it was not right. She could not believe that something so significant as how and why a Founder's sword was commissioned was not taught in their history. It made her wonder how much of their education was undermined by not only the Board of Governors but also by the Headmaster, both past and present.

It was then that Mina frowned as she looked at her brother.

"But what are we going to do about you suspension? You can't shrink on your education, even if it is seriously compromised!"

The others frowned, but Harry understood. He too came to the same questions and curiosity as his Delta-sister. How much of their education and history have either been ignored or perhaps re-written?

"The Headmaster will keep me close." Harry frowned. "That way he'll have better 'control' of me. So there is no worries about me being sent away."

"But your schooling!" She persisted, "It's not good for a Lord to slack on his education! Human or demon!"

Harry smiled at his sister as he reached out and gently brushed against Mina's cheek. Instinctively she leaned into his caress.

"Don't worry, Mina. I'm not about to let the _yathus_ gain any form of advantage over me."

"Oh? And how are you going to do that?" Ginny asked as accepted her timetable from Luna, who thought that moment was appropriate to hand out everyone's schedules.

"Well, we do have the cleverest witch in all of Britannia in our Pack, do we not?"

At this, Mina's mouth formed an 'o' shape as she watched her brother's eyes for any signs of dishonesty. But all she saw was pure and unquestioning pride in her. She sat tall with a beaming smile on her face.

"I'll be happy and honored to help you study!" She exclaimed, which caused everyone to smile. Although it was small, they all noticed the manic glint in her hazel-brown orbs as she thought about what her _on'frat_ would need for his Auror studies. "And don't worry! By the time the Headmaster allows you back to classes, you'll be ahead of everyone on the Auror Track!"

"_Ii-lus_…" Harry patiently corrected, "Being an Auror is something expected of 'Harry Potter' but it's not something that 'Harry' wants to do."

The others stared at him curiously as their Alpha stared at the unopened scroll in his clawed hand. With the exception of Sirius, they were all surprised to hear Harry make that comment. It had never occurred to them that their Lead may not want to be an Auror. They had just assumed, but now that they thought about it, it made sense. Being an Auror was just another expectation of the idol named 'Harry Potter'; it was part of the idea that everyone had of who and what 'Harry Potter' was. The Scion of the Light training himself to be an Auror and hunting down Dark Wizards…

But what about what 'Harry' wanted? After all, he was still his own person. He had his own identity hidden from all around him, save for a lucky few. His Pack. Only they knew who Harry truly was. He was a loyal friend, who was willing to help any who asked him regardless of House affiliation. He was a physical person, who enjoyed the freedom of the skies. He was smart, but opted to keep it hidden. It was a hidden wisdom that he gained from his past experiences; the Muggle term would be 'street smarts'. He had to grow up faster than any child should have. But despite knowing all of this about their pack-brother, they had no idea what interested their secretive pack-mate.

"If you don't want me to help you with your Auror studies than what do you want to do?" Mina voiced their unspoken thoughts. At this Harry just shrugged; knowing that he himself did not know.

"Dunno." He confessed then whispered, "_Incinerare._"

Suddenly a tiny reddish-orange ball of fire came to life and began devouring the scroll in Harry's hand.

"Harry!" Mina admonished the raven-haired teen, who then just cheekily grinned.

"Oh! Professor Dumbledor!" Harry suddenly bemoaned, "I was so angry! I didn't know what I was doing! I just wanted to hurt someone so badly and then the scroll caught on fire! And then I got so scared! Professor! I'm scared! Do you think Voldemort is trying to take control of me again? Please, Professor, I don't know what to do!"

The others stared at the dark haired teen once he finished his dramatic monologue. Then suddenly they burst into fits of laughter.

"Too much?"

"No! It's perfect!" Ginny answered as she wiped her tears away. "Are you going to actually use that?"

"Yep! Once my 'punishment' is up." Harry replied then moved off of the pelt-bed and stretched out his muscles. It was then that Harry truly noticed the den that he and his Pack were hiding in. It was the same den that he and Colin had gone to the other day. He was curious on how he came to the beautiful grotto, but he quickly remembered what happened to Colin and the fact that the Pack might also have a pup in their care soon.

"Alright…" Harry started as he looked at the dead hearth then sent another _Incinerare _spell to bring it to life. "Down to business, before you have to leave to meet your professors."

Usually on the day before the start of the semester, the students would receive their timetables in the morning, which gave them a few hours to go over it to either accept the schedule or re-arrange one's classes; however, most students just simply accepted the already written schedule. After all, who were _they_ to say if they wanted this particular class or that class. Then after lunch, the students would go to each of their classes for a fifteen minute introduction with the professors and with their fellow classmates while also receiving the course syllabi. And then the next day, the _real_ class session would begin.

Sensing the seriousness of their Alpha's tone, the others gathered themselves off of the soft bed and moved toward the hearth. Rather than sitting on the compacted ground, each of them conjured a simple little stool from the ground, which appeared as a semi-circle around the square pit. The stools were solid with a small back and had emerged from the ground as if they had been carved from the ground naturally. Once they were seated, only Harry and Sirius opted to remain standing. Sirius stayed close to the shadows as it was his position as his Lord's Man, and Harry began to pace as it was his habit to pace while talking.

"First of all, the other day, I received troubling information from Colin about Ron."

"Oh? What did that rat do this time?" Gin asked as she crossed her arms.

"Apparently he's been selling Colin's photos of me and most likely has been pocketing the money."

"He _what_?" She gasped, "He wouldn't _dare_!"

"Evidently he did. Using the guise that the money is going to charity."

"That bastard!" She growled.

"Where would he put the money? And how's he getting it?" Neville asked, "Gringotts?"

"No, Ron hates goblins." Gin answered, "He doesn't show it, but he hates anything that isn't human."

"Really?" Mina blinked in surprise, "I wonder if that's why Kreacher and Dobby avoids him…"

"It is." Ginny sighed, "Aside from Gringotts, there's only one other Wizardry Bank that he could use. It's not as secure as Gringotts, but it's run entirely by humans. It's called Midas Vault."

At this, Harry nodded his head. Even though he had never heard of this bank, he did not doubt his _imoutsor_. After all, there was much he was ignorant of in regards to what existed in the Wizarding World.

"Can you get access to his accounts if he has any?"

"No, I can't." Ginny shook her head. "But the Twins can."

"Alright. Let them know what's going on." Harry instructed.

"Consider it done. Is there anything else that you want them to do?" Ginny asked. Harry paused for a moment then grinned.

"_Haita_, I would like a list of all the charities in Britannia, and their description."

Ginny smirked.

"Done!"

"Now, onto the next thing…" Harry sighed, "I'm sure you remembered my comment about a First Year being attacked, right?"

"Yeah, what was that about?" Neville asked.

"Apparently a Slytherin First Year was attacked because his Housemates thought he caused the quakes."

"What?"

"How strange…" Luna muttered.

Harry looked at his aloof friend once he heard her comment.

"How's that, Luna?"

"Well," she began, "although wary and distrustful at first, Slytherins are not known for actually harming a First Year, their own or not. There must be something remarkable about this one for them to openly distrust him."

Harry narrowed his eyes as he remembered the Headmaster's comment about the little Slytherin.

"Dumbles called him 'foreign-born'."

"Foreign-born? Are you sure?" Luna questioned.

"Yeah, the _yathus_ tried to spin it around that Severus didn't want him because the kid was foreign-born. Whatever that means."

"It means that the little one wasn't born within the Britannia Empire." Mina stated, "But it's strange that he was even accepted to come."

"What do you mean?"

"None of the Wizarding Schools accept exchange students. Each school keeps their teaching styles exclusively to themselves. They think any exchange students could be a spy sent to steal their teachings. Remember during the Tri-Wizard Tournament? The only time the students were on campus grounds was during meals and during the tournament itself." Mina explained.

"Great. Not only are we dealing with megalomaniacs but also xenophobes." Harry grumbled as he did remember.

"I highly doubt that's ever going to change." Neville honestly replied.

"You're right."

"But what does this have to do with the First Year?"

"Dumbles isn't going to do a damn thing about the assault, and Severus' afraid of a possible future attack on the kid." Harry explained. "I suggested that we take him in and protect him."

The others were furious to hear that their Headmaster was going to do nothing about the attack, but they were not surprised by Harry's offer. They would have done the same if the House Head Boy or Girl could not protect the student.

"Of course, he can stay with us!" Gin stated without hesitation.

"I wonder why Draco isn't taking the little one under his protection." Mina absently commented, which caused the others to turn to her. "Well, it's one of the responsibilities of a Head Boy and Girl to take in students to protect them from bullying until the student in strong enough to be on their own. It's an adaptation of the page-knight concept."

"So as Head Boy, Draco should be taking him in?" Harry asked.

"Yes, unless something is preventing him from doing so." Mina stated, which caused Harry to frown.

He could not really think of any reason why Malfoy could not take the First Year in unless Malfoy also held some sort of prejudice towards foreign-born.

"_On'frat_," Ginny whispered, causing Harry to look up, "can you find out why Draco can't take the boy in?"

"I can. Why?"

"There has to be reason, and I don't believe it's because of some sort of prejudice. I - I just don't sense that from him." Ginny replied as she clutched her fist over her heart.

"Okay, I'll look into it." Harry promised.

"Thank you."

**Translations:**

_**Haita (youma-lingua)**_** - yes**

_**Hm mo morri muh muhun my hmher, hmm. (muffle-ese) **_**- I'm so sorry that I lost my temper, guys.**

_**Ii-lus (youma-lingua)**_** - no**

_**Imoutsor (youma-lingua)**_** - younger sister**

_**Incinerare (Latin)**_** - Ignite**

_**On'frat (youma-lingua)**_** - older brother**

_**Ritus Blod (Latin)**_** - Rite of Blood**

_**Yathus (youma-lingua)**_** - bastard**


	39. Chapter 39

_**Chapter 37: The Deadline Made**_

Once inside the safety of an empty classroom and after each Slytherin cast a protective private barrier to ensure that none could overhear their conversations, the small nest of snakes looked at one another before as one, they began shouting.

"**BLOODY HELL!**"

"**WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ABOUT?**"

"**DID YOU SEE POTTER?**"

"**WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON?**"

"**POTTER SUSPENDED? IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?**"

"**THAT WAS AWESOME! DID YOU SEE THE COOL SWORD HE WAS WEARING? CAN I GET ONE? PLEASE!**" Dominick begged, which effectively silenced the others as they clearly remembered how dangerous looking Potter had appeared when dealing with the weasel, and how fearful they were when they saw the Golden Boy armed with a silver sword.

Dominick sat on top of a desk with his legs swinging freely while the others stood together in a dazed cluster. Draco was the only one, who moved back and forth with one arm across his midsection, supporting his other arm as he lightly nibbled at his thumb-pad. As the blonde Slytherin paced back and forth, he could not make sense of what happened at the Great Hall. One moment he was about to be teased mercilessly by his two friends. When the next, he was watching the witch of his dreams being slandered by her own blood-kin. Of course, he was amazed to see that Lovegood, Longbottom and Granger, who were not blood-kin, react to the verbal assault, and Draco was surprised to find himself being restrained by Millicent and Blaise. He was not too sure whether he was grateful or furious; however, after witnessing Potter's arrival, Draco was leaning toward grateful.

He had never seen Potter so furious before. Not even when the two of them had a row was Potter ever _that_ furious. And of course, the fact that the dark-haired teen just materialized out-of-nowhere, scaring the crap out of him and probably the entire student body, was nothing to ignore either. Draco did not believe that apparating in Hogwarts was possible… _No, he didn't apparated. He just… poof… appeared._ Draco mentally corrected.

And yes, he did see that sword. It unnerved him at how casual Potter wore that sword at his hip as if it was a part of him, but that was nothing compared to the fact that Potter acknowledged his godfather, which the dark-haired teen responded favorably to Severus and not to the Headmaster. The blonde had no idea what that meant, and he was not sure if he really wanted to know. But then the Headmaster bellowed out 'suspension'. Draco did not believe that the Headmaster would really allow Potter to leave the premise. After all, Potter was the epitome of everything Gryffindor, or so Draco thought until he saw Potter bow and accept his punishment in true Slytherin fashion.

"I wonder…" Draco mumbled, not really conscious of the fact that he had voiced his thoughts.

"You wonder what?" Blaise asked, bringing Draco back to the present.

"What?"

"You said 'I wonder'. You wonder what?"

Draco's lips thinned together as he thought about his friends' reaction to his suggestion. He did not fear a physical attack from them. The worst they could do would take him to Madame Promphey to check to see he was wonkers, and the best case scenario would be that he went deaf from their screaming. He took a deep breath as he prepared himself.

"I was wondering if it would be possible to…" Draco paused then straightened himself out, "to be Potter's liegemen."

The silence was deafening until…

Meanwhile in the corridor, a group of chattering hens gossiped about what they saw during breakfast, and they were speculating what it meant that one of their Housemates was part of that affair. When suddenly they heard a horrific, murderous scream coming from one of the empty classrooms. Frightened by what might have caused the agonizing scream, the group of Ravenclaw witches fled out of the corridor, hoping to be spared from some ghastly fate.

"Have you lost your mind?" Millie demanded as she glared at Draco, who at the moment only heard ringing in his ears.

Dominick was hiding behind his brother while the others stared at their leader in disbelief, all save for Goyle, who looked thoughtful.

"You can't be serious, Draco?" Blaise continued, "Swear fealty to Potter? Dumbledor's lapdog?"

"I don't like it." Crabbe simply stated. The intimating wizard was of few words. He preferred his actions to speak for him, and when he did speak it, it was the truth.

"Perhaps…" Goyle's deep voice broke through the mesh of noise, effectively quieting everyone to listen. Goyle was another, who did not speak often; however, unlike Crabbe, Gregory was more poetic and elegant in his diction, proof of his love for poetry and Shakespeare. "Perhaps we should hear Draco out before we question his sanity?"

Draco breathed a sigh of relief. He could trust Gregory to calm the others so that an issue can be addressed in a proper and civilized manner. The others slowly backed away, giving their leader breathing room, both figuratively and literally. Draco took another breath and gave his large friend an appreciative smile.

"Okay, I know you think that I've gone completely batters." Draco began and received a few nods and murmurs of argument, which caused him to pout briefly before continuing, "Look, we're in trouble no matter how you look at it. In one hand, we have the threat of the Dark Lord and the Mark looming over our heads. And in the other, we have the Headmaster and his merry band of do-gooders. Now, neither prospect looks good for us."

The others looked at one another in understanding. It was a subject that they had talked amongst themselves in great lengths. None of them wished to follow their parents on the bloody path of destruction. They did not want to follow a madman, who would sooner kill you than to acknowledge you exist. They found no glory or honor in torturing and murdering innocent witches and wizards just because they held a different opinion than their own. They also saw no justification in attacking and killing Muggles since Muggles had no defense against magik. However, just because they opposed the Dark Lord and what the madman represented did not mean that they were willing to ally themselves with the Headmaster and his group.

For Draco, he based his decision on what he had seen happen to his godfather. He saw first hand the verbal abuse, which his godfather suffered from his supposed allies. Draco had witness the pain that his Uncle Toby endured in order to complete an assignment given to him by the Headmaster; assignments that were more often than not suicidal. As for the others, they did not believe that the Headmaster was any different from the Dark Lord.

While the Dark Lord would torture and sometimes outright kill his victims, may they be Muggles, witches, wizards or even his own Death Eaters, Dumbledor would slowly kill you; inch-by-inch, a slow and agonizing death. While the Dark Lord waged an upfront war against what he hated, the Headmaster organized and manipulated the Ministry to do his bidding. The aged wizard used the system and gained favor from the people to the point that the people would _thank_ him for their slow deaths.

"Sounds like you're damned if you do; damned if you don't." Dominick stated as he looked at his brother's friends.

Although the little First Year was blunt, the others did not argue because they knew it was the truth. Hell, they could not even stay out of the fight, being neutral was not an option for them. It was join or die.

"Is that why you suggested joining Mr. Potter?" Dominick asked. His Auntie taught him to always be respectful toward one's elders or in this case the most powerful wizard, which to the eleven year old foreign-born, Harry Potter was the most powerful wizard. "I mean he's really powerful and doesn't look like he's on anyone's side… Well, maybe just his own."

"Not on anyone's side?" Blaise repeated, "Dom, sweetie, this is Harry Potter, Dumbledor's bloody Golden Boy! The Bloody Scion of all that is good and pure in the world!"

Dominick looked at the black wizard curiously then at the others, save for his brother, who was looking at something that they were not.

"That's not what it looked like to me." Dominick stated, which caused everyone to look at him with interest.

"What do you mean, Dom?" Draco asked. True, he might have suggested allegiance with the raven-haired Gryffindor, but that did not necessarily meant that he believed Potter to be beyond the Headmaster's influence. However, he had come to learn and trust his baby brother's insight in regards to Wizarding matters due to Dominick's Shamanistic eyes and due to the younger's innocent perspective of things.

"What he means," Drawled the all too familiar voice of Professor Severus T. Snape, "is that Potter is breaking away from the Headmaster's yoke."

"Bloody Hell!" The students gasped when their Head of House spoke and appeared.

Severus arched a brow at his startled students.

"Where did you come from?" Draco muttered as he tried to calm his own racing heart, "More importantly, how did you find us?"

Draco knew that his godfather had special abilities, such as finding him whenever and wherever.

"Little Turtle!" Cheered a little voice from behind the Potion Master's trousers.

"Evie!" Dominick cheered back.

Evie rushed toward her favorite playmate and gave him a big hug, which he returned with enthusiasm.

"Ohmigod!" Millie and Blaise gasped as they saw the cute little girl while Crabbe and Goyle looked on in curious shock.

"I assume, you have yet to explain about our little friend?"

Draco gave a sheepish grin as he watched his godfather gracefully move toward the center of the room and sat down in a chair. From this alone, Draco knew that the room was secure for Uncle Toby never relaxed in an unsecured room unless _he_ made it safe.

"Children," Severus addressed the stunned group, "this is Evie, a Homunculus."

"A Homunculus?"

"They're not legal to make." Blaise said as he and Millie approached the little girl and touched her.

Amazement colored their expressions when the little creature giggled under their touch.

"You're correct, Mr. Zambini; however, I doubt the ban on creating a Homunculus can be applied to Hogwarts Castle itself." Severus stated casually, which caused his four prized students to look at him in complete and utter shock.

"She's the Castle?" Crabbe muttered in surprise as the little girl looked up at him.

She suddenly broke into a huge grin and walked over to the large wizard. She held her arms out while Crabbe watched in confusion.

"Bear! Up!" She cried, causing Severus to lightly smile.

Crabbe just blinked owlishly. He looked at his friends for help, but they were equally confused as he was.

"Bear! Up!" This time Evie commanded with a slight stomp of her little foot.

"Evie." Severus drawled. His tone was stern, which caused the little she-Homunculus to pout as she tried to get what she wanted. "Ask nicely."

"Please, Bear, Evie want up!"

"Bear?" Crabbe mumbled as he bend down to pick up the little girl in his arms as she giggled happily.

"Yea! Bear!" She then hugged the boy wizard's neck, which caused Millicent and Blaise to coo.

"It would seem, Mr. Crabbe, that you are now 'Bear'." Severus grinned.

"Hey! Neat, you have a totem like me!" Dominick cheered for Crabbe, who just lightly blushed.

"Waitaminute," Blaise started, "was it _her_ that caused the castle to shake this morning?"

"Yes." Severus answered as he stood up and walked over to Crabbe and Evie. Gently, he took the little girl from his student before setting her down on her feet.

"Wow!" Millie whispered as she watched her professor and the little girl. She had never seen such tenderness in the older wizard's abyss-black orbs before. It made her wonder what made the little girl so special to make her closed-off professor to lower his guard, even for a little bit.

"Yes, truly fascinating… However, I wager not as fascinating as what you were discussing." The Head of Slytherin stated rather than asked what his favorite students were discussing.

They shuffled nervously. All save for Dominick, who just looked at them oddly. He realized that he had been doing that a lot around his brother and his brother's friends. Dominick could not help but think that these wizards were weird. Wizards thought that magik was either good or bad, but Dominick knew otherwise. Magik was magik. Of course, wizards also believed that just because one was in Slytherin House that automatically made you evil. Dominick thought that was silly, especially since snakes were wise and held knowledge of the Great Spirit, but here, wizards thought that snakes were evil.

The youngest Slytherin then sighed as he realized that no one was going to answer his godfather. The little eleven year old thought it was funny that these older kids were scared to tell their professor what they were talking about earlier.

"Drake said something about being Mr. Potter's liegeman. Whatever that means." Dominick finally answered.

"Draco!" Severus whispered, "Are you serious?"

"**YES!**" Draco hissed as he threw his hands up in the air. "Yes, I'm serious. Yes, I'm bloody wonkers. And yes, I'm completely aware that Potter is Dumbledor's Chosen One! But!" Draco paused as he caught his breath, "But he's the only one powerful enough to keep us out of the Dark Lord's hands and be a buffer of sorts from the Headmaster's influence and schemes! Do any of you know anyone else that can do the same?"

At this, the others looked at one another. They may not like the idea, but what Draco just said _was_ the truth. They did not know anyone else who could protect them from the Dark Lord and the Headmaster, but did they really want to leave their fates in Potter's hands.

Severus had been watching his students after his godson's proclamation, but he was watching Draco closely. He could tell that revealing the fact about Potter being powerful was difficult for his proud godson. Draco prided himself on being strong but to know that he would be needing another's help was a blow to the young Malfoy Lord's ego. However, Severus had faith that this knowledge would make Draco stronger. After all, he knew that asking and accepting help was not a weakness of strength, but a strength of character.

Of course, Severus knew something else about Harry that might help his nest of snakes to come to a decision.

"Potter has offered to take Dominick under his protection." Severus found himself blurting.

Everyone stilled as they looked at their Head of House.

"What?" Draco found his voice after a few moments of shock.

"Why would Potter do that?" Millie asked in a hushed voice, afraid that if she voiced her question any louder then the offer would be revoked. She did not want to see her little Dom get hurt again.

"Lord and Master Gryffindor was angry that meanie-head won't do anything to little meanie-heads." Evie answered then reached over to hold onto Little Turtle's hand.

"No one of sound mind or heart could condone what happened." Goyle stated, "This does show that Potter is different from the Headmaster; however, it does not _prove_ it. It does not prove that he is better than what we face alone."

Severus mentally applauded his student for remaining levelheaded. As much as he wanted them safe and free from the Dark Lord and the Headmaster, Severus did not want them to jump on the first opportunity of a possible freedom… like he did. He wanted them to have all the facts. He wanted them to make a decision with their eyes open, and he knew that the only way to do that was by talking, questioning and researching.

The others were thoughtful as they went over their friend's words in their minds. They each knew that they would need to speak with Potter… eventually. As they caught each other's eyes, they each knew that they would speak with Potter's friends first.

"Alright, who will speak with whom?" Draco asked.

"Well…" Blaise tapped his chin with a long finger, "I guess you'd want to speak with your lady fair."

Draco blushed at the light tease. Yes, he did want to speak with Virginia but… He suddenly remembered the train ride and a certain bushy haired witch.

"No…" Draco sighed, "I'll speak with Granger."

"What? Why?" Millie asked, "This is a perfect opportunity for you!"

"Something happened to Granger that she's afraid of being alone with any wizard, save for Potter and Longbottom."

"How do you know this?" Severus asked. Even though he knew what happened to the Gryffindor witch, Severus would not divulge that bit of information. It was not that he did not trust his students. He knew that what happened to Granger was something for _her_ to tell when she was ready. However, he was curious on how his godson suspected that something was wrong with the once strong-willed witch.

"I saw her during the meeting on the train." Draco answered, deciding to omit the fact that he sat next to her during the meeting and protected her from the weasel's ire. "She was literally flinching at all the wizards, who either approached or touched her… including the weasel."

Everyone was quiet, uncertain as to what else they could say. They all knew that the Weasley boy was an ass and had the manners of a boar, but despite their opinions of the lanky red-head, they had always thought that Granger and the weasel were either an item or were going to be one. But with this new information, it was looking that the so-called ideal Gryffindor couple was not going to be.

"Well, if that's the case then you'll probably be talking with Potter or Longbottom as well." Blaise remarked.

Draco just shrugged dismissively.

"Then I'll be killing two snitches with one stone." Draco stated, which everyone just nodded or shrugged.

"Then _I'll_ speak with your young lady fair!" Blaise declared then continued to tick off, "Millie can speak with Luna, and Vinnie can speak with Longbottom, if you haven't already, Draco."

"Alright then it's settled." Draco remarked, "I know it'll be difficult, but let's try to get this figured out and soon."

Everyone nodded then one by one left, leaving Severus, Dominick, Draco and little Evie behind.

"Evie," Severus whispered, causing the little Homunculus to look up, "why don't you show Dominick where his classes will be."

The little one's eyes grew wide in excitement at the thought of serving her Master Prince that she gave a squeal of delight as she hugged her Master's leg then she rushed over to Little Turtle and dragged him out of the room, all the while chattering about all the secret passages she was going to show him.

As soon as they were gone, a heavy silence befell the two dark wizards.

"I received a missive from Bellatrix." Draco said.

"When."

"Before breakfast." Draco answered, knowing that was not what his godfather meant.

"Draco." Severus warned.

"Yule."

Another heavy silence wrapped around them.

"We don't have much time." Severus replied as he stood up and prepared himself for the dunderheads that he was forced to endure.

Severus knew from personal experience that although Yule was four months away, those four months will pass by in a blink of an eye.


	40. Chapter 40

_**Harry Potter Omake 2**_

The evening was quiet as the crisp winter winds whispered through the bare tree branches, causing the beautiful ice crystals to chime majestically into the night air. Despite Father Winter's cold breath, the nights were beautiful and clean during winter. It was peaceful, and the perfect time to enjoy a warm cup of coffee, which was exactly what a certain young woman was doing.

Happily sitting in her corner of the sofa with her legs wrapped beneath a simple fleece blanket and the warm cup of coffee in her hands, the young woman's crimson-brown orbs just stared off into nothingness as her mind played out various scenes. So lost in her mind, she was unaware of a tall and lean-built shadow, blocking her view of the evening sky.

The shadow frowned in apprehension as he noticed the young woman was unmoving, even not breathing. Her usually vibrant eyes were now vacant as she gave no signs of life. Fearful that she had expired, the shadow slowly reached for the slowly cooling cup in her slim hands. His long and elegant fingers wrapped around the lip of her cup. It was then he heard it, the faint tattooing of a strong heart over the evening's silence and the faint breathing of air coming in and out of a pair of healthy lungs. The shadow was relieved to hear that the young woman was still alive; however, now, he found himself in a very precarious situation…

There he was, hovering over her with a hand on _her _coffee.

He knew perfectly well that many of good people had perished by her hands for touching her sacred brew. Of course, he himself could not understand the almost cult-like worship that she and others like her had about the bitter, black brew. Then again, he was almost certain that the young woman herself could not understand his own worship of another black brew called tea. However, before he could truly comprehend their particular worship, the tall shadow found his obsidian orbs staring into a pair of sharp crimson gems.

The shadow found it fascinating that, although her eyes were brown, they seemed to glow crimson with an inner fire.

"_Bekom Haeschen._" A low voice purred.

Twin ebony abysses widened in horror as his mind automatically translated what was uttered from the young woman's full lips.

Then suddenly instead of looking down at the young woman, the dark shadow found himself looking _up_! And up and up… until a single hand came into view, covering his entire field of vision. That same hand suddenly grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and lifted him off of the ground. The shadow tried to flail his limbs about, but his body refused to obey his mental commands as he just went limp in her hand. It was then he realized at how _small_ he had become.

"**WOMAN!**" He bellowed in outrage.

"Aww!" The young woman cooed, "You're so cute!"

"**DAMMIT! CHANGE ME BACK! YOU EVIL, VILE WOMAN!**"

No matter how much venom the shadow put behind his words, his threat was completely ruined by the cute twitching of his pink little nose. His floppy little ears were as large as his tiny head, and his entire body was covered in baby-soft black fur. All in all, this once dreaded man became a cute… _**baby bunny**_!

"Nope… not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin will I change you back!" The young woman merrily chirped, "You're too cute like this!"

"And how am I suppose to inspire terror into those misbegotten dunderheads that are suppose to be our future when I'm like this?" The bunny growled impressively.

The young woman just tsked as she brought the little thing closer to her for warmth since she could feel the tiny creature tremble due to winter's cold touch. Once nestled safely in her lap, the young woman began gently massaging the little bunny.

"Maa, maa, Severus, I think you look adorable like this!"

Severus was appalled. First by the fact that he no control over his body and second by what the wicked woman had said.

He was the dreaded bat of the dungeons! He was Severus Tobias Snape! A Slytherin to the core! He was _**NOT**_ adorable!

And this most foul woman had the gall to transform him into a bloody cute baby bunny!

"_You_," Severus snarled, "are _evil_!"

"Why, thank you!" She twittered then scratched behind his velvety soft ear, "I did learn from the best!"

Severus grumbled at the fact he could not rile the young woman up. She indeed learned from the best.

"Besides, consider this as your punishment of trying to take my coffee away."

"I was worried that you had passed on."

"Ha!" She laughed, "Not any time soon, Bub."

"Then what happened to you?" Severus asked as he subjected to the genlte body rub he was receiving. He was also mildly horrified to discover that he was enjoying it; it was relaxing.

"Just thinking."

"That's dangerous."

"I know… especially for you lot."

Severus suddenly stilled then looked up with doleful eyes.

A thin black brow arched before the young woman fell into a light chuckle.

"The puppy eye won't work on me, Toby." She advised.

"I don't do the 'puppy eye'." Severus retorted as he looked away in a bunny huff, eliciting another chuckle from the young woman.

"Sure, you don't."

"That's right! I don't!"

"Whatever, Toby." She stated, unconvinced especially since he was pouting. Suddenly feeling merciful, she decided to change subjects.

"Hey, Severus, if you could have an animagus form, what will it be?"

Severus thought for a moment. He was surprised that she would ask such a question, but quickly suspected that the question had to do with _The Pack of Shadows_ story. In all honesty, he had never really thought about it. He could not think of an animal that would best describe him. Of course, he knew some people would be facetious and say that his animagus form would be that of a jackass, but then again, those who would say that were also imbeciles with the combined IQ of 1.

"I don't know." Severus replied, "Never really thought about it."

"Hunh…" She remarked then asked, "Would you object if my readers picked a form for you?"

Severus shrugged.

"I do not mind." He replied then added, "As long as it's nothing idiotic, such as an ass!"

"Maa, maa, my readers are good people. They'll come up with something appropriate. I trust them." She answered as she gave his ear another affectionate scratch.

"And how will you decided in the end, what my animagus form will be?" Severus asked as he felt his body go to goo.

"Well, it depends on whether or not I get a consensus or a very convincing argument on why a specific animal should be your form."

"And how long will you have this little poll open?"

There was a moment of silence as the young woman thought about it.

"How about until December?"

"Six months?" Severus gasped in surprise.

"Why not? That's about the time frame that I'll start on the next segment of _Pack of Shadows_. So it'll give my readers plenty of time to come up with something. Also I could ask them what would be a good focus for Harry!" She explained with good cheer.

"Focus? What more would Harry need to focus on aside from surviving the Dark Lord?"

"Well, think about it, nearly every monarch had a focus outside of ruling their territories… For example, Ludwig had the arts or even better the Japanese Emperor had botany… even got the Noble Prize for it, too." She stated, "Even Princess Di had an outside focus in cleaning up landmines, which her eldest had taken up as well, I believe. So what do you think? What would Harry's focus be?"

"Right now, I believe his vocation is to drive me insane." Severus mumbled.

"I suppose…" She grinned, "Well, I'll leave that up to my readers as well, with the same deadline… December."

"Now that has been settled, may I make a request?" Severus politely asked.

"And what would that be?"

"**CHANGE ME BACK!**"

"Hmm… No!" She cheekily answered as she continued petting her little Severus-bunny.

"You are evil."

"We've already established that, Luv."

**Translations:**

_**Bekom Haeschen. (German)**_** - Become a Bunny.**


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 38: **_**The First Step**_

"Are you sure that you'll be alright, Mina?" Harry asked as he and Hermione stood outside of her Arithmancy class.

"N-no…" The young brunette stuttered, causing her Alpha to frown, "b-but you can't always be there … a-and I can't always have you be there…"

The raven-haired teen tilted his head to the side, confused by his _an'sor_'s statement. However, while Harry was confused, Sirius purred loudly from the young demon Lord's shoulder, aware that this was the first step of her healing. Hermione gave her brother a shy smile.

"I-I have to overcome this…" She quietly whispered, knowing that Harry would hear. "I-I have to continue… have to face this… o-or … o-or h-he wins…"

_Oh!_ Harry's emerald green gems widened in understanding. He closed the gap between them and gently laid his forehead against her's.

"I understand." He replied then placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, "But I still worry… Please, don't push yourself… if you're not ready then don't force yourself."

"I-I know." Mina sighed then looked up with a rueful smile, "B-besides… you c-can't protect everyone… c-can't save everyone."

Harry wrinkled his nose as his face became marred by a frown.

"I don't want to protect everyone nor do I want to save them." The raven-haired Lord declared, causing Mina's hazel-brown orbs to grow wide in surprise and shock. "I only want to protect and keep my Pack safe. You and the others matter to me now."

Elysian green gems held wide hazel-brown orbs without hesitation while Hermione began assaulting her lower lip.

"Are you disappointed?" Harry quietly asked when Mina lowered her eyes from his steady gaze as she collected her thoughts.

The young witch looked up then shook her head.

"Not in you…" She whispered, "N-never in you, _ot'frat_. I am disappointed in them… You'll save them - no, listen first - you'll save them only because it means that you'll be saving us, and they'll never understand that, especially when you leave this world for… and you _will _leave the Wizarding World."

Harry enveloped his strong arms around his slender _an'sor_ while lightly nuzzling his face into her soft locks. She was right. She would always be right. He would protect this pathetic world of mindless sheep only because his Pack lived in this world and were endangered by Voldemort, and only for them would he kill that soulless monster. The rest of the Wizarding World could go to hell in a hand basket for all Harry cared.

Suddenly the warning bell chimed throughout the corridor, warning everyone that they had less than three minutes to get into their classes or else they would be tardy. Reluctantly, Harry pulled away. Hermione, however, held on for a moment longer then leaned up and nudged her nose against the corner of her Alpha's lips. She has seen submissive wolves greet their Alphas in a similar manner in a documentary when she was in primary school. Instinctively Harry let out a low rumble, which easily could have been mistaken for a purr if the young witch did not already know of Harry's canine demonic blood. She gave a light giggle and quickly slipped into the classroom.

Harry had a light smile, which quickly morphed into a snarl once he noticed the other students watching them, using his and his pack-mate's lives as some sort of source of entertainment and gossip. Immediately the other Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws quickly looked and hurried away, afraid to invoke Harry's temper upon their person. However, while his snarl frightened the other students, Harry noticed that two Slytherins, Blaise Zambini and Millicent Bulstrode, in the class just merely watched in curiosity. With a slight frown on his face at the pair's peculiar behavior, Harry quietly walked away and ignored the final bell as it vibrated throughout the corridor.

The raven-haired Mageling quietly watched the now empty corridors, keeping his senses open for either Mrs. Norris or Filch. Even though he was on suspension and was not told where to go or who to report to, most likely the Headmaster's attempts to isolate the young wizard from the rest of his schoolmates, Harry was in no mood to deal with Filch and his malicious disdain toward magic-wielders. Easily he slipped out of the castle and took a deep breathe of fresh air. He may love the ancient stone walls, but he was a _youm' _and felt confined, trapped, within the castle. Casually looking back at the castle, Harry faintly smiled knowing that Lady Hogwarts was with his _nakam-cius_. A small part of him was jealous of the little girl for being able to be with Severus all day… Perhaps he would sneak in on his _nakam-cius_' class, just to be in his_ ko'mo_'s presence… Turning his attention in front of him, Harry then noticed that Hagrid's hut was still smokeless, meaning that his old friend was still out on Order business. Most likely trying to garner the giants' favor on Dumbledor's behest. Silently the raven-haired Lord wished the half-giant a speedy return from wherever he was and hoped that the Ground's Keeper's mission was a failure. Harry really did not like the idea of the battle-hungry and blood-thirsty giants allying themselves with Dumbledor nor did the idea of the warrior race joining with Voldemort appeal to him. _I'll have to find a way to keep them out of this war, but how?_ Harry thought absently as he marched forward into the Forbidden Forest.

||:I think Grawp could use some company,:|| Harry suddenly stated as he began to feel the beginnings of some unexplained nervous energy, ||:What do you think?:||

Sirius only mewed, which Harry took as a 'yes'.

The trek through the forest was quiet and uneventful, and yet Harry could still feel eyes on him. He knew that those watching him were probably the Centaurs, who began patrolling the forest to keep wayward students out in attempts to regain control of their territories, the Unicorns, the Thestrals and the small band of trolls, who have taken residence in the forest ever since the Mountain Troll was set loose in Hogwarts six years ago. The feel of eyes on him was a mix of reverence and resentment, and yet nothing troubled him, especially not the Centaurs, which Harry knew were just 'itching' to do something but was wary on how to do so. As the pair moved further into the forest and closer to Grawp's lair, Sirius shifted from his smaller form to his more natural form, and the lithe hybrid walked by his Lord's side.

" 'Uppee! 'Ittee!" The forest echoed with the infant giant's childish delight, causing the two demon teens to stand at the ready.

The ground shook and thundered as the behemoth toddler clambered to his feet once he caught the familiar smells of his two favorites and charged at the still pair. Baby Grawp immediately made a grab for his two favorites. His meaty hands clasped around 'Arrie-uppee and Cee-ree-us-ittee. Pulling his hands close to his face, a big toothy grin graced the giant's face as he peered into his enclosed fists. Expecting to see his two favorites, Grawp blinked owlishly as he realized he only caught dirt, rocks and even a sapling in his hands.

"Close, Buddy." Murmured the friendly growl belonging to 'Arrie-uppee.

Grawp smiled then squealed happily. This was his most favoritest game, tag and throwing things. 'Arrie-uppee and Cee-ree-us-ittee played this game better than Ha'gr, who always made him play weakly. 'Arrie-uppee and Cee-ree-us-ittee let him be as strong as he can be! He liked strong. Strong was good. Weak was bad. And then Grawp began throwing boulders at his favorites. It was fun to watch them move! They moved so fast! Like two colors racing! He liked the colors that 'Arrie-uppee and Cee-ree-us-ittee made! It was soo pretty! Grawp giggled then he grabbed a large tree, pulling it free from its roots and began swinging the large evergreen at his favorites. This game was fun! Grawp would try to hit his favorite, but his favorites were too quick!

The clearing echoed with laughter from Grawp and 'Arrie-uppee, and even though Cee-ree-us-ittee never laughed, Grawp knew that the quiet 'ittee was happy too! 'Ittee's eyes would glow like 'Arrie-uppee's and that made Grawp happy. Grawp liked happy! Grawp's face broke into a hideous grin when he spotted a really large boulder. The toddler-giant picked up the boulder and tossed it toward 'Arrie-uppee.

||:My Lord!:|| Sirius called when he saw the large boulder being hurtled toward his Lord, surprised at the young oni's strength and speed.

Harry turned around. His eyes grew wide when the boulder, the size of a house, was nearly on top of him. Instinctively his hand rested on the hilt of the Sword of Gryffindor.

In one fluid flick of his wrist, the silver blade sang out of its sheath.

"_Reducto_!" Harry cried as the blood-stained blade whistled through the air and out came a slash of reddish-orange light.

The light was absorbed into the oversized rock before…

VBOOM

The clearing echoed with a loud explosion while it rained very fine rock dust, covering the occupants of the clearing in thin layer of dust.

Harry blinked owlishly as he stared at his sword, ignoring Grawp's happy giggles and Sirius' curious gaze.

"Bloody hell…" Harry whispered then with a sheepish grin, the young demon Lord re-sheathed his blade, "I think I should hold off from using the sword…"

"Hn." Sirius grunted. His large ears suddenly twitched as he picked up a faint sound from a distance. His almond-shaped orbs began scanning the tree line.

"Ah-gan! Ah-gan!" Grawp's clapping thundered throughout the forest.

Harry shook his head as he too heard something faint in the distance, slowly coming closer.

"No, Grawp." Harry said as he approached the now pouty infant-giant but his eyes never wavering from the tree line. _The explosion must caught someone's attention…_

Emerald green orbs briefly locked gaze with crimson gems, knowing that the other was thinking the same as he. The young demon Lord would not be at all surprised if the said someone was Dumbledor, but the Gryffindor wizard was not willing to stay to find out if he was right.

"Ah-gan!" Grawp stomped, causing Harry to frown and fold his arms across his chest.

"No." Harry commanded then bared his fangs.

Grawp whimpered but made no new demands for 'Arrie-uppee to make more rock dust.

Harry gave Grawp a sturdy pat on his knee, letting the toddler know that the raven-haired wizard was not really angry or mad at the giant. Grawp pouted as he accepted Arrie-uppee as the big dog of the Forbidden Forest.

Harry pressed his lips together as he worried about his spell cast. The _Reducto _spell he had unleashed was far more powerful than he had originally intended. The teen's intent was only to cut the boulder in half, not to pulverize it. This made the young Mageling wonder if the Gryffindor Sword had some how amplified his spell casting or if his magik was truly _that_ much stronger. Of course, he knew that his magik was strong enough to not only to allow him to perform wandless spell casting but also powerful enough to destroy his wand. But Harry never had a way to gauge how powerful he truly was, not even prior to his inheritance did the raven-haired teen knew how powerful he was. And with him pulverizing the boulder with a simple _Reducto_ spell, the Gryffindor teen did not want to risk accidentally harming an innocent with a wayward spell.

"No pwray?" Grawp asked, breaking the wizard's thoughts.

Harry sadly smiled.

"No." Harry shook his head, "No more play, Grawp."

"O-tah…" Grawp pouted then lumbered back to his den.

||:My Lord…:|| Sirius' low voice murmured under the thunderous retreat of the young oni, but Harry heard him nonetheless.

||:I know…:|| Harry sighed as his hand subconsciously rested on the red bejeweled hilt, ||:Until I know _how_ much more powerful I am, I should limit my spell casting.:||

||:That will be wise.:|| Sirius agreed, ||:Perhaps we should speak with Mage Master Loschina?:||

||:Yeah…:|| Harry trailed off then looked at his _kyodaternus_, ||:So what do you want to do now?:||

Sirius just shrugged. He was not completely familiar with the castle or the forest to really decide on what they should do, but he knew his Lord… he knew that his _kyodaternus_ wanted to shadow his pack-mates to ensure their safety, but that only would hinder the Pack's strength. The stoic fire-ice hybrid watched as Harry returned his attention back to the castle.

Harry knew that he was suddenly being irrational. He knew that his Pack was safe within the castle walls, but he still could not shake the feeling of unease that echoed in the back of his mind. Something was wrong, like an itch that he could not scratch that was slowly growing worse… there was a danger, a threat to his Pack that he could not see, and it made him antsy with nervous energy.

||:Milord?:|| Sirius called when he noticed how intently the young demon Lord was watching the castle and its surrounding forest.

||:Have you ever felt as if something was wrong but can't place a finger on the source?:||

Sirius frowned before nodding.

||:Let's do a perimeter check…:|| Harry mumbled as he began walking away from the clearing while Sirius simply followed.

The pair trekked through the forest silently; keeping eyes and ears out for any signs of danger but finding none… the pair continued walking after they had walked the entire 20 acre perimeter of the castle, including the forest and the _nin-nus_ village. Harry continued to sense a danger that he could not see, and it was aggravating him to no end. Sirius, sensing his Lord's aggravation, suddenly brushed against the _youm' _Lord then spurred off in a full run, knowing that his _kyodaternus_' blood would be enticed to follow. Instinctively Harry gave chase to the fleeing hybrid. He knew and understood what the stoic crimson-eyed teen was up to, and for that, he was grateful.

They ran and chased, making enough noise to keep away any wayward students from entering the Forbidden Forest. And then all of sudden, the demonic pair stopped in their tracks. As if they had not been running wildly for the past hour. A heavy silence fell over the forest as the pair remained still; only their ears twitching. Their noses flared, only so slightly, as they took in a familiar scent of the winds.

The scent was spicy and yet feminine, which usually had the calm aloof presence of nature; however, this time, the winds were chilled, biting to the bone as if in panic.

||:K'lika…:|| Harry murmured. Without a glance nor word, the young demon Lord removed the Portal Gate from his neck…

_**Translations:**_

_**an'sor (youma-lingua) - **_**older sister**

_**ko'mo (youma-lingua) - **_**love [romantic attachment]**

_**Kyodaternus (youma-lingua) - **_**Brother-in-Arms [heart]**

_**nakam-cius (youma-lingua) - **_**Intended, mate prior to being officiate**

_**Nin-nus (youma-lingua) -**_** human**

_**ot'frat (youma-lingua) - **_**younger brother**

_**Reducto (Latin) - **_**Reduce**

_**youm' (youma-lingua) - **_**demon**


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 39: **_**an'il Kyodalitas**_

The grand council hall was in an uproar as the Council of the 15 Elders and the vassal lords of the Northern Lands were shouting at and over one another. The younger members of the Council and the Lords demanded immediate bloodshed while the older and the extremely warily members called for diplomacy, and in the middle of the torrent of the noise were two figures.

The two male wolf _youm'n _were dirty from the road and exhausted from battle. They had traveled far from their home and lead a small group of refugees from their home province to a neighboring territory before making another long and hard march to the closest major city… the Capital City of the Northern Lands. The two demon nobles were the middle and youngest sons of the honorable Lord of the region. The state itself was a small and yet lush land of 1,545 square miles and was home to a population of 1,012 _youm'n_. In ancient times, the province once served as the vanguard for the Northern Lands against invasions from the Western Territories; however, ever since the Treaty of the Four Lords in the year of 153 _To'raris_, 4 BCE in _nin-_nus standard years, the southern province had only known peace and tranquility for many generations. And as such, their once known prowess in battle had become nothing more than legend, which left them vulnerable to an assault that they had no defense against.

The invaders, who called themselves _an'il Kyodalitas n'ex an'il Juna-mer Nin-hon_, the Brotherhood of the Pure Ones, came in the dead of night as the region had celebrated their Harvest Festival. Their guard was down, and _an'il Kyodalitas_ swept in with no warning, and no mercy… none was spared from their onslaught… no man, no woman and no child… all fell before their blades, and those of mixed blood suffered the worst of the raiders' savagery.

After _an'il Kyodalitas _had decimated a sixth of the population and scattered the rest, instinctively the people of the state sought refuge behind the walls of their Lord's Keep. And it was there they became imprisoned. It did not take the intruders long to poison the Keep's surrounding water supplies by disposing their victims' bodies in the rivers and lakes, making the _youm'n_ to relay on a simple well as their only source of water, nor did it take long for the food in the Keep to begin running out. But then again, there was not much food in the Keep to begin with. The people were in such a panic that many of them arrived at the Keep with only the clothes on their back. It was the _shim'litia _who brought the food, but the supplies were only enough to sustain 60 _shim'litia_ for about a month, not 93 _youm'n_.

However, _an'il Kyodalitas _did not want to wait for starvation to set in and soon began a bombardment with house-sized boulders and fireballs against the Keep's thick mountain walls, weakening the ancient walls' integrity for a breach. And while the surviving _shim'litia _fought on the high walls to keep the invaders at bay, the older men and the women began clearing an ancient escape tunnel that had collapsed not so long ago. The tunnel was their last hope to escape or at least to send for help from the Capital City…

The southern province had missed two _Ts'coen_. A _Ts'coe _was when a vassal representative from each territory come to Court for council of new resolutions or to express grievances against old and new resolutions. To miss one _Ts'coe _was not unheard of, especially if weather was horrible or there was a family emergency, but usually a message was sent to explain for the absence. To miss two _Ts'coen_… That was unprecedented. And upon the request of the young Northern Lord and his Council, an emissary was sent to investigate the silence.

Although K'lika, Retainer of the Northern Lands, was of high status and such assignments were beneath a woman of her stature, the wind apparition had volunteered to go because she was a friend of Lord M'kaura, the Lord of the region. She had successfully snuck into the Keep and was horrified by the state of the people. With no thought to her own well being, she remained with her friend and helped defend those trapped within the Keep…

||:General Reddenhound!:|| The middle son, Daji, demanded, ||:I demand that you send the army to destroy these invaders!:||

Sather Reddenhound just looked at the light brown haired wolf demon blandly before resting his eyes on the youngest nobleman. The younger of the two wolf-demons looked haggard in his _shim'litia_ uniform, even more so than his older brother, whose fine clothes was only dirty from travel rather than battle, and the younger's almond-shaped copper-brown eyes held the hard gaze of a warrior, who had seen too much in such a short time. But the younger Lord eye's also held the shadows of pain and worry, so much like the Northern Lord's own eyes.

Suddenly the air became alive the electrifying energy while the shadows themselves subtly swayed to and fro in agitation. All, save for the demanding Daji, saw the shadows move, but only those in the Council of Elders knew why… the shadows knew of their Master's return.

The atmosphere was thick and heavy, which licked at their flesh and felt like a hot monsoon summer day, reflected the young Shadow Hound's anxiety and anger.

_He must have heard this one's demand._ Reddenhound darkly mused.

||:Where's K'lika?:|| The commanding voice of the Northern Lord growled out, causing the Council of Elders to respectively bow, which in turn cued the rest of the Court to bow as well.

The two wolf_ youm'n_ spun around and were surprised to see a pair raven-haired demons standing in front of them. One raven-haired demon had eyes red as melting rubies and stood slightly behind the other raven-haired demon with blazing pure emerald green eyes. Both _youm'n_ were plainly dressed and both were quite young by demon standards. The ruby-eyed demon was obviously a hybrid by the mixed scent of fire and ice and was barely a Mark old, barely 50 years old by _nin-nus_ standard, while the green-eyed one, also a hybrid, was not even a quarter Mark old, not even 25 years old by _nin-nus_ standard, and yet he carried himself much like a warrior and a leader.

||:Who are you!:|| Daji demanded, not noticing the audiences' disapproving murmurs.

||:The one asking the questions.:|| The green-eyed demon bared his fangs, which caused Daji's to take an instinctive step back, ||:Now answer the _bloody_ question. Where. Is. K'lika!:||

The nobleman sneered at the green-eyed half-breed and turned back to the auburn-haired general, ignoring the brat's growls.

||:Has our Lands fallen so low that peasants can waltz in here and question their betters?:||

||:Shut up!:|| The green-eyed youth growled then turned his attention on the youngest of the pair.

The younger Wolf bowed in respect. He was no fool. He had seen how the Northern Court behaved toward the plainly dressed youth. The green-eyed hybrid was a nobleman of high merit, perhaps even kin to the Northern Lord.

||:I'm sorry, milord…:|| The younger wolf demon's voice was low, ||:Lady K'lika…:||

Copper-brown orbs looked beseechingly to the raven-haired Lord. He did not want to say it. He did not want to tell this young nobleman that the beautiful wind apparition had fallen along side his father, Lord M'kaura, and older brother, Zhang, protecting the refugees of the Keep as they fled to safety. Nor did he want to tell the young noble how it was _his_ fault that the Northern Lord's envoy was dead. Copper-brown orbs then looked away from the younger hybrid's soul-piercing stare. He should have just handed himself over to _an'il Kyodalitas n'ex an'il Juna-mer Nin-hon_. They had promised to leave his people in peace if all the half-breeds came to them. But his father forbad it. He boldly told the raiders that none of his people, hybrid or full-blooded, would hand themselves to be slaughtered to a group of butchering _yathus_, and Lord M'kaura's diktat became more powerful when Lady K'lika agreed. Her agreement to M'kaura's diktat was akin to the Northern Lord himself agreeing with the wolf Lord.

||:What happened?:|| The young Lord's voice was soft and hitched with fear.

||:She's dead.:|| Snapped the other wolf_-youm'_, ||:As are my father and brother… all because we protected the half-breeds!:||

||:What?:|| The green-eyed noble gasped while the hall fell into quiet murmurs, knowing how their young _Shih'nus_ felt about the prejudice of the Purists.

||:Are you deaf, peasant? She's dead.:||

||:Brother…:|| The younger of the wolves attempted to quiet his rude brother.

||:Silence, Fennec!:|| The elder wolf snapped, baring his fangs, ||:It's your fault! If Father was not trying to protect you, you worthless _yathus_, then none of this would have happened!:||

Fennec's medium-sized triangular ears that were more rounded at the tip than Daji's, his mark of being a wolf-dog hybrid, laid flat against his yellowish-brown hair as he looked away. He heard the Court's murmur getting louder. He knew death was upon him. He had failed to protect a representative of the Northern Court. It would only be natural for his life to be forfeited in compensation for her death.

||:Shut up!:|| The young Lord roared, effectively silencing Daji, who looked indigent. ||:I want to know what happened. And where's K'lika?:||

The air crackled with energy while the young Lord's green eyes glowed with flecks of red and gold.

||:My Brother.:|| Another soft voice whispered over the loud roar.

The green-eyed demon rounded on the ruby-eyed one, who just merely stood there. To Fennec, it seemed as if the younger of the two raven-haired demons was going to attack, but to the young wolf-dog demon's surprise, the young nobleman's ears just laid back while a pained whine escaped from the green-eyed demon.

||:General…:|| The Lord's voice was soft, barely audible to those without demonic hearing.

||:Lord Haijime.:|| General Reddenhound acknowledged, taking immense pleasure in the Daji's sudden blanched complexion.

||:Make sure the sick and the injured are tended to…:||

||:As you command.:||

||:Also… make sure they have water, food and blankets…:||

||:Of course, my Lord.:||

The hall was heavy with silence as the Council and the vassals made way for their Lord, who quietly walked away with the ruby-eyed demon following behind.

||:Do not fret, Lord Fennec.:|| Sather gently spoke, ||:Your men will be tended to.:||

Fennec jumped slightly out of his stunned stupor in realization of who exactly that young _In-nis youm'_ was and looked at the auburn-haired Blood Hound.

||:_That _was our new Lord?:||

||:Aye. Lord Hah-ree Haijime.:||

||:He's so young…:||

||:Aye, and yet already so old.:|| Reddenhound replied then turned back to the young wolf_-youm'_, ||:Rest now. You will need it soon.:||

* * *

Harry felt his body tremble as he quickly hid in his chambers. He could feel his magik itching just below his flesh, wanting to lash out at something, at anything.

_She's dead._ That simple phrase continued to echo in his mind. On one level, he understood what the phrase meant. It meant that K'lika was gone, and yet on another level, the young Mageling did not understand…

He had just spoke to K'lika before returning to Hogwarts. They had even made plans upon her return from the south to go over the Land's education program. Harry can still see her smiling face as she waved him off to the human realm. She could not be gone… _I talked to her…_ Harry thought as he felt a strange numbness enter him. _I just talked to her… she was okay… she was excited to go south and see her friend… I just… she… oh Merlin!_

Harry stopped pacing, color-drained from his face while his pupils dilated, revealing only darkness.

_I sent her there! I killed her! Oh Merlin! I killed her!_

Harry clutched at his chest as he felt it tightened and his breathing came in short gasps. Falling to his knees, Harry hunched over, trying to control his gasping breath but nothing worked. And his mind plagued him with the knowledge that he had killed his friend… much like how he killed his godfather… and Cedric…

||:I … I … killed them… I killed them all…:|| Harry whimpered as he felt his cheeks become wet, unaware of the tears falling down his face.

||:Brother…:|| A quiet voice called, but Harry did not hear the voice.

||:I killed them…:|| Harry continued to whimper.

Then a firm hand rested lightly on Harry's shoulder, causing distraught and pain filled green orbs to look up.

||:Then I have killed her as well.:|| Sirius answered, even though he was confused by his _ketsuguis-kyfa_'s choice of words…_ Them? Not her? Who else does he feel he has caused their death?_ The fire-ice hybrid thought.

Elysian green orbs blinked owlishly as Sirius' face came into focus through his watery vision.

||:What…:|| Harry whispered in confusion, ||:What are you saying?:||

||:You claim K'lika's death.:|| Sirius stated, ||:Why?:||

||:Why?:|| Harry repeated, ||:Why? Because I sent her there! I sent her out there to be murdered!:||

There was a slight twitch of Sirius' lips as he tilted his head to the side.

||:Did you know?:||

||:Did I what?:||

||:Did you know.:||

||:NO!:|| Harry shouted, ||:I didn't know! If I did then I wouldn't have sent her!:||

||:Then why claim her death?:||

The simple question gave Harry pause as he looked at his _ketsuguis-kyfra_. Emerald green gems immediately looked away.

||:I … I'm suppose to protect them…:|| Harry whispered, ||:I'm the _bloody_ Chosen One…:||

An undignified snort echoed throughout the chamber, causing Harry to looks at his ruby-eyed brother suspiciously.

||:Those humans are pathetic and weak.:|| Sirius venomously spat out.

Harry's eyes grew wide at the pure venom he heard in the usually stoic fire and ice demon.

||:They deserve their fate.:|| Sirius blandly cursed then took a deep breath to calm himself. ||:You are not a god… You cannot protect everyone… she chose her path… her fate… her death…:||

||:She wouldn't have wanted to die.:|| Harry growled, ||:No one wishes to die!:||

||:Hn.:|| Sirius agreed, ||:But she would prefer her death be for a cause; protecting the innocent.:||

_As you would._ The words hung in the air between the two young demons.

Harry closed his eyes as he lifted his face toward the heavens, baring his throat to his _ketsuguis-kyfra_. The ultimate sign of absolute trust and faith in the other.

||:Then why do I feel guilty? Why do I feel as if I should have done something?:|| Harry asked as he looked back at Sirius.

||:Because you care… perhaps too much.:|| Sirius whispered.

||:Is that so bad?:|| Harry ruefully smiled.

Sirius only responded with a shake of his head. Harry then took a deep breath as his eyes lingered out of the window.

||:Summon the General and the wolves.:|| Harry ordered, ||:We need a plan of action, and I want these parasites off my lands.:||

* * *

||:Go and rest, my Lord.:|| Reddenhound ordered after the War Meeting had concluded.

The meeting had lasted only a few hours, and only _after _his Lord Mageling had silenced Daji, did a strong plan form. In the morn, a small advance group of soldiers would venture to the southern province and sneak into the Keep. The groups' main mission was to provide reconnaissance of the area and the enemy before the main force arrived. Their secondary mission was, if possible, to diminish _an'il Kyodalitas_' forces and resolve in a series of quick strikes.

||:No,:|| Harry sighed, ||:I must go back and tell my Pack that I'll be gone for a while… Until this situation is resolved.:||

Daji continued yelling, even though he made no sound. Fennec just simply watched the young Northern Lord in curiosity and in awe, never having seen someone so young take command so effortlessly as his _Shih'nus_ had done.

||:When can we expect your return?:|| Sather asked as he led his Lord and Sirius out into the courtyard once the War Meeting was dismissed.

||:This evening.:|| The young demon Lord responded, ||:I just want to let them know what's happening, and I want to see the men before they go…:||

Reddenhound merely nodded as he understood an Alpha's need to ensure the safety of one's Pack and was pleased to hear the youth's desire to see the men, to be there for them.

||:I understand.:|| The Blood Hound remarked but looked sternly at the young demon, ||:However, when you return, you are to rest, or else I shall inform Master Tschan.:||

There was a slight twitch of the young teen's right ear. Harry knew that his General meant well and that if Sather said he would inform Master Tschan, the Court Healer, then the old Blood Hound would.

||:You don't have to come with me, Siri.:|| Harry remarked as he pulled out his Portal Gate, ||:Stay with Kisa.:||

||:No.:|| Sirius replied, which Harry knew would be the answer.

_**Translations:**_

_**An'il Kyodalitas (youma-lingua) - **_**the Brotherhood**

_**An'il Kyodalitas n'ex an'il Juna-mer Nin-hon (youma-lingua) - **_**the Brotherhood of the Pure Ones**

_**In-nis (youma-lingua) - **_**Dog**

_**Ketsuguis-kyfra (youma-lingua) - **_**Blood-Brother**

_**nin-nus (youma-lingua) - **_**human**

_**Shih'nus youma-lingua) - **_**Lord**

_**shim'litia (youma-lingua) -**_** militia**

_**To'raris (youma-lingua) -**_** Tiger**

_**Ts'coe[n] (youma-lingua) - **_**Gathering[s]**

_**Yathus (youma-lingua) -**_** bastard**

_**Youm'[n] (youma-lingua) - **_**Demon[s]**


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 40: **_**A Soldier's Purpose**_

Fidgeting in her seat, Ginny impatiently listened to Professor McGonagall as she reviewed this year's syllabus, and what the Gryffindor Head of House expected out of her students for the year. It was the same speech that the old witch had given each class every year, and one that the younger witch had memorized since her first year at Hogwarts. She tried to pay attention to the old hag, but today… Today, she felt consumed by a nervous energy that demanded action! Demanding that she move, attack, destroy… just to _do _something! Which confused her because she knew that this nervous energy did not belong to her, but to another… she knew that this energy belonged to her _on'frat_.

Harry had warned the Pack that because they had preformed a blood-bond, there was a possibility of an empathic bond would be created between each of them. And because Harry and Ginny had preformed the blood-bond twice, their empathic bond would be stronger than the others. She really gave it neither thought nor concern that she could sense her _on'frat_'s emotions. In fact, she took great comfort in being able to sense and feel Harry's presence in the back of her mind. It was akin to having a light in the darkness, guiding the lost to safety. However, earlier she had sensed a deep pain and guilt coming from that quiet link they share, and it made her despair because she could not go and comfort her pained Alpha… wherever he had disappeared to.

Then to help her combat the boredom of listening to Professor McGonagall droning on and on, the young redhead mentally bared her dull-fangs in a feral grin as she daydreamed the Wizarding World's shocked expression when Harry told them to shove it where 'the sun does not shine'. In her honest opinion, it was what they deserve for causing her _on'frat_ so much pain. After all the cowardly lot was perfectly content to manipulate and use an innocent child as weapon so that they did not have to dirty and bloody their own hands.

"_Nin-nus…_" Ginny quietly growled, but it went unheard by those around her.

The castle then echoed with the booming gong, signaling that the period was over and that students were dismissed for the day. Ginny thanked Lady Morgana that her last class of the day was Transfiguration. The young redhead did not think that she could keep a civil tongue for much longer whenever she was around the old matron. With one last mental sneer, this time at the ancient crone herself, Ginny quickly gathered her things and attempted to bolt out of the door.

"Miss Weasley!" McGonagall bellowed, forcing Ginny to stop in her tracks and let out a deep sigh.

She had feared and suspected that the old crone would want to talk to her, more like interrogate her. The Gryffindor Head of House was probably told to question the young witch about either Ron, or Harry or even both… the red-haired sorceress took a deep breath to calm her anger as a memory from her second year came to the surface.

Ginny knew that the old matron never really cared about her students. After all if Dumbledor's loyal lackey truly cared about her students, she would not have used information told to her in confidence against her _on'frat_ nor would the Transfiguration Professor have allowed and participated in the bullying of a young witch in her own House! Ginny strongly felt that Professor McGonagall was to be blamed for the death of that young witch, her friend, but no one would believe her. _'After all bullying was a Muggle thing, no self-respecting witch or wizard would stoop to such base behavior.'_ And ever since then the young redhead began guarding her secrets close to her heart for fear of them being used against her or her family by the Deputy Headmistress and the Headmaster.

The old hag also only cared about the prestige of being the Head of House of Gryffindor, and the greater prestige of having the Boy-Who-Lived in her House. Ginny was not blind nor stupid and knew that the professor was relishing in the power of that prestige. In the Wizarding World, a witch truly did not have any real power in the heavily patriarchal society. True, a witch may have a seat of power, only if they come from a Noble House and if they are the last of their family. But either than that, a witch in power was nothing more than a figurehead, and Professor McGonagall was just such a figurehead. But with being considered as one of Harry's 'mentors', the ancient crone had a different type of power. The power of influence, and many of wizards and witches have contacted the aged witch for parenting tips - the redhead had witnessed the older Gryffindor respond to those letters during one of the younger sorceress' detention, and with her draconian style of teaching, Ginny would not be surprised that the matron would be just as draconian as a parent. Of course, the only time that the ancient witch 'actually' cared about Harry was whenever the Headmaster ordered it, in hopes to elicit a more responsive rapport with McGonagall portraying the caring maternal figure.

It was all bullocks.

"Miss Weasley," The Transfiguration Professor began, giving the air of she was looking down on the younger witch, "The Headmaster and I wish to express our concerns about your brother and Mr. Potter's deplorable behavior this morning."

Ginny just stared at the older woman, not enjoying the fact that she was correct about the after-class discussion nor happy that the Gryffindor Head of House would have the gall to ask her about this morning. That was a familial affair, not something for outsiders to go snooping in.

"Tell me what their argument was all about?"

It was neither a question nor a request. It was a demand, and it took every once of the redhead's willpower to keep her face neutral.

"No." The younger witch plainly stated which caused the ancient crone to frown. For a brief moment, the two Gryffindor witches just stared at each other, neither giving way to the other… waiting to see who would flinch first…

"Very well." The aged hag flinched first as she sniffed at Ginny, "You are dismissed."

Without another word, Ginny walked out of the classroom into the dwindling corridor. As the stragglers flittered down the corridor, instinctively Ginny's jadeite-green orbs focused in the shadows, ignoring all those around her. Taking a small step toward the shadows, the young witch could faintly see an outline of someone standing in the darkness, unseen by everyone and not paying attention to anyone or anything around. If it was not for the familiar dark hum that whispered in the back of the redhead's mind or the familiar shape of a guarding cat, Ginny would have dismissed the image as a figment of her imagination.

"_On'frat?_" The young sorceress whispered as she sensed an unusual presence of sorrow, guilt and worry.

Peering out of the dark shadows, a pair of glowing emerald-green jewels stared at the young magic-wielder in confusion before clarity made those glowing gems even brighter.

"Gin'." Harry sighed as he stepped out of the shadows.

Immediately the younger Gryffindor noticed the dark shadows clouding her _on'frat_'s eyes. Cupping her hand against his cheek, Ginny stepped closer to the older wizard.

"What's wrong?" She whispered while Harry nuzzled his face into her palm, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

The raven-haired wizard took a deep breath, grounding his troubling mind to the present. He knew it was irrational of him to believe K'lika's death was his fault, but he did. And he knew that there was only one person he wanted to talk to about this soul-gnawing guilt. But he also knew that it would not be fair to his Pack if he did not talk, at least to let them know what was eating at his soul.

"K'lika's dead." Harry quietly said.

"Oh no," Ginny whispered, remembering her _on'frat_'sRetainer from the demon world, "what happened?"

"Invaders attacked one of my provinces." The young demon Lord began, "She was protecting the refugees that were escaping…"

"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry…"

The dark teen just nodded then enveloped her in a tight hug, assuring himself that his _shisor _was safe.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going back… tonight… I need to…" Harry paused as he tried to come up with the words to explain why he had to go back.

"Shh… I understand." Ginny whispered, aware that his place during this time was in _Ma-Terrarum_, "Find them and make 'em pay."

Harry looked at his _ketsuguis-shisor_ for a moment and wondered where her bloodlust had come from. He did not think that his blood would have made her more vicious. Suddenly he picked up a subtle deep musk scent wafting off of his _imoutsor_ before realizing what it meant.

"Don't worry." Harry replied while fighting a blush at his revelation, "They won't be a threat to our people."

At this admission, Ginny brightly smiled. Stepping on her tip-toes, the young witch rubbed her nose against the raven-haired teen's neck, causing the Gryffindor wizard to purr and tightening his arms around her smaller frame.

"Please, let the others know." He requested.

"Of course," The young witch promised, "but where will you be?"

"Around…" Harry answered, "I need some time to myself…"

Suddenly the redhead snorted and gave her _on'frat_ a knowing smirk.

"You mean you want some time with Professor Snape before you go?"

Harry gave her a rueful smile as he kissed her forehead.

"Yeah, I need to talk to him too…" The half-demon teen confessed then quietly stepped away, back into the shadows and gone from her sight.

"Watch over him, Siri." Ginny whispered after the retreating pair, knowing her _on'frat_'s _youjin'tores _could hear her and knowing that the fire-ice hybrid would do so without fail.

* * *

Sitting on the ledge of the Astronomy Tower, Harry watched the sun begin to set and the stars slowly come to life. Being so far removed from a Muggle village and town, Harry was amazed to see the faint band of light that made the 'tail-end' of their galaxy. Just seeing the faint wisps of the Milky Way in the night sky always managed to put things in perspective for Harry, letting him know that there were some things beyond his control, especially by himself. If he continued fretting about things, then he would do something reckless, causing not only himself grief but his loved ones as well…

"Harry?" A soft voice called, breaking the half-demon from his thoughts.

"Mina?" A frown graced the teen's face as he turned around on the ledge, surprised to see his _an'sor_ in the Tower by herself. "What's wrong?"

"Ginny just told us." Hermione plainly stated as she stepped closer to her demonic _ot'frat_.

Harry said nothing as his body relaxed in his _an'sor_'s presence. There was just something about her scent that calmed him. Severus had a similar effect on him, the teen knew this, and yet the young wizard knew that Mina's presence affected him for a different reason. He just did not know why; all he knew was that he _had_ to be calm around her. It was not that the young half-demon was worried of scaring her with his extreme emotions. It was just… he _had_ to be calm.

"She said that you're leaving." She stated as she stepped into her _ot'frat_'s embrace. "Why?"

Harry rested his chin on her shoulder and sighed.

"Why are you going?" She asked again then looked up, worry clouded her hazel-brown eyes, "You know that you don't have to! You're a Lord. You don't have to go. Are they making you go?"

"No, they're not making me." The raven-haired teen answered, "But I _am_ their Lord."

"Then why are you going if they're not making you go?" She demanded. It was not fair that everyone expected a 16 years old _boy_ to save them from a monster. First the Wizarding World and now the demons… Her _ot'frat _should not be burden with that weight on his shoulders when there were older and more powerful wizards and demons around. And then the Wizarding World have the gall to condone him for doing as they demand? Would the demons do the same?

It was as if Harry merely a tool, a weapon, to be used when convenient and then discarded when no longer needed. _Cannot anyone see that Harry was just a teenager?_ She mentally cried out.

"Mina…" Harry hugged his _an'sor_, upset that _he_ had made her upset. "I am their Lord. They are _my_ people - our people. I can't just stay here while they are there, dealing with these _yathus. _I want to be there to show them that I care about them. That I'm not some ruler, who rules from a distance to send them off to die. I need to let them know that they're not sacrificing themselves because of some whim. Because, Mina, it's fucking terrifying going into battle and not knowing _why_. When I'm there, I can tell them and show them that what they're doing is not just out of duty and obligation… but for a purpose."

Hermione had watched her _ot'frat_ as he spoke, seeing new life color his eyes, and she was breathless as she listened to his words. She had never heard such passion from the young Gryffindor wizard before. Not even when he banded the Defense Association together last year had she heard the passion and the sense of purpose. She did not know what to say but knew that the young man before her was a born leader. It was not just the power contained within his lithe frame that made him such a threat to the Dark Lord and the Headmaster. It was the fact that he can band people together for a cause that was greater than their own ambition, an ability that the Dark Lord did not understand and at the same time terrified the Headmaster.

"Anyway…" Harry mumbled as he fought against a blush when he noticed how intently his _on'sor_ was looking at him with awe and admiration, "Would you escort me to detention?"

"Of course… _wata neus_ _Shih'nus_."

**Translations:**

_**an'sor (youma-lingua) - **_**older sister**

_**imoutsor**__**(youma-lingua) -**_** younger sister**

_**ketsuguis-shisor (youma-lingua) - **_**Blood-Sister**

_**Ma-Terrarum (youma-lingua) - **_**Demon World**

_**Nin-nus (youma-lingua) - **_**human**

_**on'frat (youma-lingua) -**_** older brother**

_**on'sor**__**(youma-lingua) - **_**older sister**

_**ot'frat (youma-lingua) - **_**younger brother**

_**Shisor (youma-lingua) - **_**sister**

_**wata neus**__**Shih'nus (youma-lingua) -**_** my Lord**

_**Yathus (youma-lingua) - **_**bastard**

_**youjin'tores (youma-lingua) - **_**bodyguard**


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 41: **_**A Soldier's Truth**_

With his head bowed over a piece of parchment, Severus was quickly reviewing his students' summer assignments they had turned in that day. With each paragraph read, the Slytherin wizard pinched the bridge of his nose to keep the growing headache of annoyance and disappointment at bay. Lowering his hand, the raven-haired sorcerer gave the parchment a flourished mark of unsatisfactory before reaching for another parchment, probably written equally as dreadful as the last.

It never failed. With each new school term, his students seemed to suffer from the same maladaptive brain activity change that had afflicted them in the previous years... It was as if his students took a massive brain dump of everything that they were taught, and he was not talking just about his potions lessons but also basic grammar and spelling!

"_the dreemless slep potion is a medicine potion. It purpull in color and used to induece dreemless slep and aid rekuperashin. The dreemless slep potion is kalled the sleping potion and dreemless drought…"_

A small part of him wondered why he even bothered with assigning holiday assignments if he was only going to get crap in return.

Suddenly he found himself blinking as he read the parchment he just reached for. Picking up the assignment, Severus leaned back in his chair as he continued to read the essay. It was a paper the Potions Master had assigned to his fifth year students, now his sixth years, in regards to the medicinal uses of passion-flower and poppy seeds in the Dreamless Draught. The older wizard found the author's comments about the passion-flower's mild hallucination properties interesting while he was disappointed by the lack of information on the poppy seeds' medicinal properties. Aside from that, the paper was well written and carefully thought out. Sitting up straight, Severus reached for his quill and began making comments and suggestions of his own to his student about his paper, and where his student could find information on the poppy seeds' medicinal properties for future references. And although the professor loathed docking points from one of the few well written papers he had seen, the raven-haired wizard gave his student an average mark.

It was then the dark sorcerer's curiosity was piqued as he quietly pulled out his wand from its holster. Tapping the parchment twice, the uniformed block writing slowly melted away into a beautiful script handwriting.

During his first year of teaching, Severus gave a student a failing grade. The student, however, felt that he deserved a better mark than what the young Potions Master had given and proceeded to complain to his parents about his evil Slytherin Professor hating him because the student was a Gryffindor. The boy's parents then had levied a complaint against Severus, and although the raven-haired stood by his decision, he was forced to amend the student's grade, passing the student. In order to ensure fairness and impartially, Severus would spell his students' homework with a spell he had created.

_Dissimulo chirographum _charm bewitched anything written to hide the author's name and the student's handwriting to be none descript and uniformed as possible. And any marks he gave would automatically be recorded in his grade-book, which he had Professor Flitwick charmed for security. For the most part, this method ensured that his students received the mark they deserved and none of them could cry 'foul'. And whenever he was curious about a paper, as he was now, the Slytherin would reverse his spell with the _Patefacio chirographum _charm, also a spell of his own creation, to learn the identity of the student. He was always in for a surprise when he discovered who the author of a well written paper was… obsidian-black gems suddenly grew wide as the Potions Master instantly recognized not only the beautiful small and cursive handwriting but the name as well!

"Like what you're reading?" A bemused voice asked from the shadows.

"_Stupefy._" Was the immediate response as the Head of Slytherin House came to his feet. "_Lumos._"

The potions classroom became a lit by the mild light spell.

"Potter." Severus drawled as he narrowed his eyes on the oddly dressed - a style that the dark wizard found was very appealing on the younger male, but he would never admit it, even under the pain of death - teen, who had merely side-stepped away from the older wizard's first spell cast.

"Professor." Harry greeted with a soft smile.

"What are you doing here?" Severus demanded as he sat down and leaned back in his chair, arms crossed while tapping the tip of his English-oak wand against his upper arm.

"It's 8 o'clock." The teen Gryffindor replied then grinned as he noted the subtle blink of surprise in the professor's dark eyes.

"_Tempus._" Severus whispered before frowning as his spell cast revealed the time to be five after eight. "How long have you been there?"

"Only a few minutes." Harry honestly replied as he took his customary seat in the front of the class. "You looked engross in what you're doing. I didn't want to disturb you."

The older wizard frowned then picked the paper again while obsidian orbs flickered between the paper and his menace of a student. The said menace just simply sat at his seat, seemingly perfectly content just to watch the older man. Severus' lips thinned as he thought on how he could word his accusation of plagiarism… Suddenly the Slytherin wrinkled his nose as he realized what he was doing. For a brief moment, the dark wizard had fallen back to his old prejudice against the younger sorcerer. Severus had known since the youth's third year that the pain in his arsch was not a complete idiot, despite what the older wizard had often publicly proclaimed. He just did not know why the green-eyed brat chose to hide his intelligence, and the older Slytherin just _knew_ that the young Gryffindor hide his intelligence. After all, the teen _earned_ his marks, especially in Potions… his grade-book was proof of it.

"Why did you omitted the medicinal properties of poppy seeds? More specifically poppy seed oil?" Severus plowed through, which caused the younger wizard to blink owlishly.

Harry looked at the parchment in his professor's hand then at his _nakam-cius_. Subconsciously the teen's mouth formed an 'o'.

"The library didn't have the information." Harry then explained with a shrug.

"The library?" A thin brow arched.

"Eh… yeah… you see, the Dursleys kicked me out of the house while they were renovating so I was staying at the local library." The teen continued, "Your assignment was my last one… I didn't have access to my books so… at first, I thought about winging it, but Anna-Bella, the librarian, helped me find some of the information. Unfortunately the only information I could find on poppy was drug-related. I didn't think you wanted that."

"Interesting…" Was Severus' only comment.

The young man watched as the older wizard put away the essay.

"_SzaeXaeSS_…"

The Slytherin professor snapped his attention and was about to berate the teen for using his name so liberally _again_, but the words died on his tongue as Severus noticed a certain haunted look in those usually expressive glass green gems. The dark wizard recognized that haunted look intimately. It was the same look that he himself was cursed with, ever since… Relaxing his body, Severus did not say anything, just waited for Harry to find the words on his own. It was important for Harry that _he _and healone can begin to heal himself from the horrors of this war. All Severus could do and _would_ do for the younger wizard was to be there for the emerald-eyed teen.

"How do you do it?" The teen abruptly asked.

"Do what?"

"How do you keep sane knowing that…" The Gryffindor paused, "… knowing that the information that you give could kill someone… someone you know…"

Severus looked away. Of all the things to be asked, the older man did not expect _that _and yet he was not truly surprised by the question. The Potions Master suspected he knew the reason behind the question… Sirius Black. As much as he hated the arrogant Black Lord, Severus knew that the blue-eyed Marauder loved his godson as much as said godson loved the damned mutt.

"Sirius." Severus simply said, knowing that the young man would understand.

Harry licked his lips as he almost chocked out, "Yeah… he's part of it."

The Head of Slytherin sighed as he stood up from his desk and walked over to his student. Pulling a chair out, the Potions Master seated himself across from the young man so they were face-to-face.

"There's nothing I can say," Severus began quietly, "that won't sound hollow or filled with false condolences."

Harry bowed his head. That one sentence was the most honest and sincere he had heard since Sirius' death.

"There is no trick to be learned…" The dark wizard continued, "You have information that could save lives or condemn lives… you can try and verify the information, but there will be times when you don't have that luxury…"

Harry looked up and watched with rapt attention as an array of emotions not only colored Severus' voice but also his eyes. The older wizard was speaking from experience, and what pained the young Gryffindor was that the experience was not from a distant past but more recent.

"There will be times when you have to act on that information, right there and then…"

"Or do nothing and let more die." Harry suddenly growled as he remembered the incident over the summer holiday.

Severus took a deep sigh and gave a bearable nod as he too remembered that attack on Frejid's House. After Harry gave warning about the attack, Severus received the painful summons from the Dark Lord, who then revealed his plans to assault the ancient house in attempts to keep Dumbledor from having it, or so the Dark Lord had claimed. The Slytherin Potions Master had neither the time nor the chance to send confirmation of Harry's claim since the attack began within that hour. Severus' main objective was to protect as many innocents as he could… everything else be damned.

The raven-haired professor dug his nails into the palm of his hands, keeping his mind on the present. He tensed briefly as he felt Harry's warm hands cover his own. Looking up, the older wizard watched his student as the young man gently caressed his thumbs against the knuckles of his _nakam-cius_. The gentle caress sent warm shivers throughout the Slytherin's body, making him wanting more…

"I… I sometimes find myself thinking that if I had done something different than he would still be alive…" The teen's soft voice broke through the dark wizard's desires.

"_AerE_…" Severus whispered, but Harry continued, not hearing his mate's voice.

"If only I was faster… smarter… even selfish… none of them would be dead."

Severus took a sharp intake of air. _Diggory…_ The Slytherin mentally hissed. The older wizard should have known that the young man before him would still be carrying that particular scar. The Hufflepuff student technically was not the first casualty of this misbegotten war, but for the young Gryffindor, who had not truly experienced the effects of war, Cedric Diggory would always be the first victim.

"Harry," Severus said more forcefully as he cupped the young man's face, "you can come up with thousand and one _what if's _but the facts will always be the same… and all that you will do is drive yourself mad… there is no magic spell, potion or artifact that can change the past nor prevent it from happening again… all you or I can do… all we can do is find that median… between sanity and insanity… and survive to live another day."

Harry closed his eyes as his _nakam-cius_'swords washed over him and amazingly felt his soul lifted from a heavy burden he had not known to be carrying. Leaning forward, the half-demon Lord tenderly brushed his nose against his _nakam-cius_'sbefore placing a chaste kiss upon the dark wizard's lips.

"_Arigne, wata neus ko'mo_." Harry gently whispered against his _ko'mo_'s lipsthen stood up before the dark wizard could question him on what he had said.

Severus just followed the young wizard with his eyes as the young man walked out of the classroom. Subconsciously he touched his lips, still feeling the lingering warmth on them and in his heart and soul.

**Translations:**

_**AerE (Parseltongue) **_**- Harry**

_**Arigne, wata neus ko'mo (youma-lingua) -**_** Thank you, my Love **

_**Dissimulo chirographum (Latin) - **_**Hide the Script**

_**Lumos (Latin) - **_**Light**

_**nakam-cius (youma-lingua) - **_**Intended, mate prior to being officiated**

_**Patefacio chirographum (Latin)**_** - Reveal the Script**

_**Stupefy (Latin) - **_**Freeze**

_**SzaeXaeSS (Parseltongue) - **_**Severus**

_**Tempus (Latin) - **_**Time**

* * *

_**Author's Note: For many of my readers after reading these 4 chapters, you'll be wondering when I'll be updating again. So as a heads-up, I won't be posting anything new until June of next year. I know it seems like a long time away, but trust me... time will fly by. Also poll is still open for what Severus' animagus form will be. It's a toss-up between a panther and a wolf. So please, send in your votes! Thanks! -Azteka**_


	45. Chapter 45

_**Previously on Harry Potter and the Pack of Shadows…**_

_**On his 16**__**th**__** birthday, Harry receives a time delayed letter from his father, telling him about an inheritance that no one could have ever expected. On his 16**__**th**__** birthday, Harry received a demonic heritage from a Blood Adoption that had saved him from death as babe and on that fateful Halloween night.**_

_**Now, he's learning on how to control his new powers, his responsibilities as a demon Lord and Alpha of his small pack as well as the expectations as the Savior of the Wizarding World. **_

_**Will he succeed in protecting his people and his pack, especially from purist extremists of both human and demonic origins?**_

**Chapter 42: **_**Preparing for a Fight**_

SMACK!

SLAP!

A muffled groan echoed in the Keep's open courtyard as the gathered men cruelly laughed at the battered young demon on the ground. His body trembled in pain, but he commanded his body to stand and stand he did. The raven-haired demon's continuous defiance quickly angered and annoyed the gathered raiders while the group's leader looked upon the youth with a calculating glean in his draconic eyes.

For nearly a month, this half dog-demon mutt and his companion, a Forbidden hybrid, have been the raider's prisoners since the pair's patrol was ambushed by the marauders, just like the barely surviving villagers of the land had become their prisoners. The raven-haired pair had barely been in their custody on the first day when the half-breed had antagonized the raiders into a vicious beating. If it was not the dog-demon antagonizing the raiders then it was the hybrid.

The invaders' leader narrowed his serpentine yellow eyes when he noticed a certain young she-wolf missing from the courtyard. _The bitch must have returned to the other villagers_. A frown marred his pointed face as he remembered one of his men making a grab for the young female for a night of pleasure before the half-breed…

_That whelp!_ The draconic demon mentally hissed as he suddenly realized what the half-demon and hybrid had been doing this entire time.

The raven-haired pair had purposely been provoking his men into beating them in order to _protect _the females. The leader let out a vicious roar, startling everyone in the open courtyard. His pointed face contorted into an ugly sneer as he stalked down from his makeshift throne. Instinctively his men moved out of his way as he stormed up to the barely standing and barely conscious half-breed.

His talon hand snapped out and easily caught one of the dog-demon's raven-black ears. He gave the sensitive appendage a savage squeeze and twist. He smiled when he heard the young pup let out a high-pitched whine of pain. And he was extremely pleased when he felt the cartilage rip beneath his grip. He knew that the ear would forever have a permanent limp.

A single emerald green gem of an eye with flecks crimson and gold glared at the draconic demon despite of the pain the young dog-demon was feeling. The half-demon's defiance even angered the invaders' leader, just as it angered his men.

||:You think you are so clever, half-breed?:|| The leader growled quietly so that the young raven-haired male could hear, ||:How long do you think you and your companion can keep protecting the females?:||

The younger demon remained quiet.

||:Those bitches are nothing more than whores.:|| The dragon continued, ||:They're only good for a fuck and breeding!:||

Still the half dog-demon remained quiet, causing the draconic leader to let out another roar as he slammed a fist into the young demon's jaw. He let the youth crumple to the ground. He took another moment of pleasure when he heard the satisfying crunch of the half-breed's jaw breaking. He then spat on the youth's form before ordering his men back to their posts, reminding them that just outside the Keep's gates was an army waiting to destroy them.

The she-wolf that the draconic demon had dismissed as having had ran away was in reality watching the horrific beating from the shadows that hid her from the unfriendly eyes of the marauders in the courtyard. She anxiously waited for the last of the raiders, who would have violated her honor had it not been for the young Shadow Hound, leave. Quietly and quickly she crawled to the beaten youth. Gently she nuzzled her face against his bruised and bloodied face, letting out a low and quiet whine. Her body was tense as she feared that the invaders had finally succeeded in killing the half dog-demon. She let out another low and quiet whine as she gave her savior's face a gentle nudge.

"Ngh…" The raven-haired demon moaned.

She gave him a happy yip, relieved that the raiders had not killed the young male.

||:Ha-ree…:|| She whispered as her ears strained to hear if the marauders have heard her.

||:S'kay…:|| Ha-ree exhaled as he opened his non-swollen eye, ||:jus' nee' min'te…:||

||:Milord…:|| She whined as she nuzzled against his jaw.

He felt her tears drip onto his hot flesh. He knew that he was in the beginning stages of a fever, and he had tapped out his reserves in healing his more severe injuries so he knew that he would have to deal with the fever the natural way.

He had subconsciously developed his healing abilities when he was younger while living with his mother's kin. And while he had stopped referring to his mother's kin as his family since they had never treated him as such, he cannot but help find the irony in mentally thanking them in forcing him as a child to develop this ability - to hone his magik internally to heal his injuries.

Slowly he lifted his head, pushing back at the pain and nausea that coursed through him. He quickly looked over the young she-wolf, who continued to nuzzle against his jaw as a sign of submission to her Alpha. He then opened his senses to see if any of the invaders were nearby. The courtyard was empty save for himself and the she-wolf.

||:Shh…:|| Ha-ree purred.

||:You… you shouldn't have done that, milord!:|| She whimpered, ||:I'm not worthy! I'm nobody!:||

Suddenly she let a sharp gasp as she felt her savior nib at her neck and let out a low and angry growl. Instinctively she knew that she had angered her Lord with her words, but she was confused as to why he would be angry at her. After all, she was only the daughter of a woodcarver, not of noble blood like her savior.

Slowly he pushed himself to his feet and weakly pulled the she-wolf to her feet. Mentally he laughed in pain induced delirium as he realized that the she-wolf was at least a head and a half taller than him.

||:Never say that again…:|| Ha-ree commanded.

||:Milord?:||

||:No one… no man, no woman, no child… deserves to be raped… it does more than just hurt… it destroys… I don't want to ever hear that you're unworthy or a nobody… you're somebody's sister… somebody's daughter… understand?:|| Ha-ree stated as his pain-hazed and yet glowing emerald green gems stared into the she-wolf's amber-brown orbs.

Her eyes grew wide as she stared at her Lord in awe.

||:Yes, milord Ha-ree!:||

He gave her a boyish grin, the one that often landed him into more trouble than not.

||:Just Ha-ree… I'm just Ha-ree.:||

* * *

"Ngh…" Harry groaned as he finally lowered himself into a pile of soft straw that some of the villagers had managed to gather for either for him or for Sirius to lay on after a beating from the purist intruders.

||:My Lord.:|| Sirius' voice pulled Harry back to the land of wakefulness.

Opening his non-swollen eye, the young Mage looked upon his friend and _kitsuguis-kyfra_, blood-brother, who looked just as equally as horrible as he did despite the fact that Sirius was beaten several days ago. With great effort, Harry raised his hand from his side, and the young Fire-Ice hybrid immediately took hold of the offered appendage.

||:How many…?:|| The Northern Lord quietly whispered, knowing that Sirius would understand that he was asking how many had escaped through the small tunnel by the temple ruins.

||:Three.:|| Sirius answered then looked up when another shadow loomed over the pair.

||:My Lord Ha-ree…:|| A soft voice chided lightly as a youthful she-_us'cunia_, hare, removed the dog-demon's hand from hybrid's.

Ruby-crimson orbs narrowed, but he did nothing against the she-hare.

||:Hey, Illana, how are you?:|| The half dog-demon greeted, giving the she-hare one of his boyish grins which actually turned out to be a grimace.

Illana's oak-brown orbs blinked for a moment before her expression morphed into one of exasperation that this young demon would might light of his injuries when she had known stronger demons having had crumbled under the same amount of torture. She then placed her tiny hands over the Northern Lord's chest. Her hands began to glow a gentle baby blue, and slowly and methodically began moving her hands over the raven-haired youth's chest, following the natural energy pathways every living being possessed. It always amazed the natural Healer at how much damage that these raiders had inflicted on both young men, and at the same time was amazed at how much the pair can endure. Their ability to accept the pain and injuries and to continue on spoke much of their upbringing, which broke Illana's gentle heart and made her soul weep. _Younglings such as them should never know a world of pain._ She thought while she worked on healing the young Northern Lord.

Suddenly she felt a strong grip over her own tiny hands, causing her to lock gaze with the most beautiful shade of emerald green.

||:That's enough… save your strength.:|| Harry ordered.

||:And what of you?:|| She challenged back, causing the young dog-demon to give her a rueful smile.

||:I've had worse and survived.:||

Illana began to assault her lower lip as she turned her gaze onto the silent Fire-Ice hybrid, whose expression was even more closed off than she had ever seen. _He knows more of our Lord's past._ She took a deep breath in and slowly released it, returning her attention to her Lord.

||:As you wish, My Lord, but please, do be more careful.:|| She beseeched, ||:There's only so much that one's body can take before it shuts down on itself.:||

||:Thank you, and I understand.:|| Harry whispered as he felt his eye grow heavy, and he followed Lord Morpheus to the land of Dreams.

* * *

A pair of emerald greens snapped wide open as Harry found himself in a surprising state of alertness. His non-damaged ear twitched at every soft sound being made, mostly soft gasps of surprise from the other prisoners which confused the young dog-demon. He absently noted that during his sleep, his demonic blood and his magik had healed his swollen eye, allowing him to see clearly more once. His fleeting gems immediately landed on his friend and blood-brother, who although was still battered also looked a bit smug. Emerald gems narrowed on the smirking Fire-Ice hybrid, who if possible looked even more smug.

||:What a beautiful creature!:||

||:What is it?:||

||:I've never seen such a thing!:||

The whispers continued around the raven-haired pair from the remaining villagers, causing the Northern Lord to blink in surprise and confusion. When suddenly…

"Ow!" Harry yipped in surprise when he felt his good ear being violently nipped at. It was then that he realized the added weight on his shoulder as color drained from his face. There was only one being in all of the known realms that would dare and get away with nipping his ear.

"_**HOOT!**_" The angry cry echoed so loudly into his ear, causing the most powerful Mage to wince.

Sirius let out an amused chuckle at the sight of his Lord and blood-brother being scolded at by his avian companion, Hedwig. However, the Fire-Ice hybrid quickly discovered that his chuckle was the wrong thing to do around the overly protective mother-owl as she stretched his impressive wingspan and began screeching at _him_ as well. Sirius knew that this also amused his Lord, judging by the feral grin that the other was sporting.

||:Oh my!:|| Another soft gasp echoed over Hedwig's scolding screeches, ||:I must say this is a first for me to bare witness to…:||

Harry and Sirius immediately gave Illana a deadpanned look, which she easily ignored their pointed expressions as her bemusement took over.

||:A Lord and his Man being scolded by a…:|| Illana paused as she looked at her young Lord, ||:What is this beautiful creature? She looks like a tiny owl-demon.:||

Harry sighed as he slowly rose to his feet, feeling amazingly refreshed as if he had not been severely beaten just hours before. It was then he realized why, and he gave his beautiful familiar a pointed look to which she returned in kind. Harry sighed once more as he shook his head.

||:She is a tiny version of an owl-demon.:|| Harry stated as he approached his blood-brother and knelt before the still injured hybrid, ||:Her name is Hedwig. She is my familiar, but she's also much more than that…:|| The young Mage continued as he concentrated his magik into his hand, developing a small globe of purplish-black energy with swirls of emerald greens, ruby-crimson and molten gold. The raven-haired demon then placed his hand on Sirius' chest, who gasped in shock at the sudden invasion of warmth that tingled throughout his body, ||:Hedwig's my…:|| The half demon than gave Illana one of his boyish grins, ||:She's my mother-owl.:||

At this proclamation, Hedwig gave an indigent hoot, which caused both raven-haired youths to chuckle.

||:How does that feel, Siri?:||

||:Hn.:|| The Fire-Ice hybrid grunted then gently pushed his blood-brother's hand.

A small frown marred Harry's face. He knew that the hybrid had more injuries that he could help with, but he respected the stoic demon's silent request - _do not tax yourself_. Placing his hand to his side and took a step back, allowing Illana a moment with the quiet hybrid demon, Harry then looked at his beautiful Familiar.

"How did you get here, Hedwig?" The young Mage questioned the Snowy Owl, who then upturned her bill, indicating that she was giving her Mage the silent treatment.

Harry's frown deepened in confusion. He knew he had left Hedwig in the Human World and yet here she was, sharing with him the magical reserves that he unconsciously had stored within her. Originally that was the purpose of a Familiar, storing and sharing the magical reservoir that a witch or wizard would pool into their faithful companion. However, the practice and the purpose became lost either through laziness or deliberate ignorance, Harry did not know which but was glad that he had stumbled upon the forgotten knowledge with his usually knack for things… in others, by pure dumb luck.

"Kaguumb…" Harry whispered, which caused his beautiful and overprotective mother-owl to twitch.

The half dog-demon took a deep breath and slowly released his held breath. He should have known that his Shadow would have sent Hedwig to him if Kaguumb had felt it was necessary.

"Well, what's done is done."

"Hoot!" Hedwig acknowledged.

||:How do you feel?:|| Harry asked his blood-brother, who answered the raven-haired Mage with a feral grin to which Harry returned in kind.

The half dog-demon held out his hand which Sirius grasped and was pulled to his feet.

||:You ready?:|| The Northern Lord asked.

||:Are you, my Lord?:|| Sirius countered, causing Harry to arch his brow, ||:When Reddenhound comes.:||

Harry winced at the mention of one of his Generals. He knew that the Blood Hound demon would be beyond livid with him. Not only had the half demon snuck in with the army to the Keep, but Harry and Sirius had also purposively allowed themselves to be captured and tortured. The raven-haired Lord knew that the older dog-demon was going to give them the scolding of the millennia. A prospect that the young demon was not looking forward to.

The Northern Lord turned around and faced the few remaining villagers that he and Sirius could not sneak out of the Keep. Fortunately they had freed the younglings and the sick, leaving behind villagers who were thirsty and hungry for revenge. The remaining villagers looked at the half demon expectantly, reminding the young Mage of another group of youths looking at him with the same levels of expectations and awe. He closed his emerald green gems before re-opening them with determination stealing them.

||:I'm not looking for heroics.:|| Harry plainly stated, ||:I'm looking for individuals who are willing to help me open the main gates. There is a strong possibility that once we're discovered we'll have to fight… fight for our lives.

||:I'll understand if none of you wish to fight. Out there… I can't guarantee that you'll survive this upcoming battle, but in here… I can guarantee it. As long as you stay in here, you'll survive to see your loved ones.:|| The young Northern Lord paused as he gathered his Familiar from his shoulder to his hand then approached Illana, who remained still.

"_Conspicior Me Haud_." Harry quietly whispered as he stroked the Snowy Owl's soft feathered breast.

||:As long as you remain together, near Illana and Hedwig, the raiders won't notice you.:||

||:My Lord?:|| Illana questioned, ||:How?:||

||:Hedwig is the keystone to the Charm that I cast. Stay close together, and the Charm's effects will work.:||

||:You are a Mage?:|| The she-hare gasped in complete and utter shock that a demon of his age could be a Mage, causing Harry to blink owlishly.

||:Yes, I am.:|| The Northern Lord stated, but when Illana did nothing nor said nothing more about it, Harry walked away toward his blood-brother, ||:How many weapons do you think we'll need?:||

Sirius blinked but remain quiet, knowing that his Lord was just rambling to gather his thoughts.

||:Two for you and one for me.:|| The half dog-demon stated as he placed three pieces of timber on the ground.

||:A dozen more.:|| Sirius then quietly answered, causing Harry to look up and noticed that the Fire-Ice hybrid was not looking at him but beyond him.

Harry straightened up and looked behind him to see a dozen or so of the villagers standing together with a frightened but equally determined expressions on their faces.

||:Thank you.:|| Harry acknowledged with a light smile.

||:It should be us thanking you, my Lord Mage.:|| One of the villager stated as the group bowed respectfully to their Lord.

Harry immediately turned to Sirius, feeling very uncomfortable at the amount of reverence the group was showing him and the new title; however, Sirius was busying himself with gathering more timber for the young Mage. The Fire-Ice hybrid was uncertain as to what his Lord was planning on doing with the timber, but the stoic demon trusted the dog-demon and his magik. Seeing that his blood-brother was not going to help him with his unease, Harry sighed and turned his focus on the pile of timber on the ground. Kneeling by the pile, Harry placed his hand on the wood and gathered his magik into his hand.

"_Forma in Gladius_." The half dog-demon whispered as he willed his magik to leave his hand and enter into the pile of timber. He did not need to see if his magik was answering his wish. The collective gasp of surprise and awe behind him told him everything. Satisfied that the pile of wood had taken shape, Harry gathered his magik once more.

"_Obduresco et Chalybs_." The Northern Lord willed his magik once more and soon the pile of sword-shaped wood was hard as actual steel sword.

The young Mage knew that he could have used another branch of Transfiguration, called Transmutation, to make the wooden-swords into actual steel swords but that required time and a level of understanding of chemical components in all things, both of which Harry did not possess. The half dog-demon just hoped that his Transfiguration will hold and protect the villagers, fighting beside him. The Northern Lord pulled a simple sword out of the pile and took a step back, watching Sirius pick out two blades for himself while the villagers quickly armed themselves with the remaining weapons.

||:Okay.:|| Harry began once everyone was armed, ||:Illana and the others remain here while we go and open the main gates, allowing General Reddenhound's men entrance. _That_ is our objective. Once the Northern Guard enters the Keep, get out of the way. _Their_ objective is the raiders. Leave the raiders to the Guard. Is that understood?:||

||:My Lord! We can fight!:|| A villager exclaimed in outrage.

||:There's no doubt that you can fight, but this is not some bar fight or some street fight. This is force-on-force… trained men and women… this battle is going get ugly, and it's going to get ugly real fast. We don't need more casualties because of bloodlust so please… when the Guard enters the Keep, get out of the way.:|| The Northern Lord pressed.

The villagers became quiet but nodded in acknowledgement of their Lord's request.

Sirius stood by his Lord, waiting for his orders.

Translations:

_kitsuguis-kyfra _(youma-lingua) - blood-brother

_us'cunia _(youma-lingua) - hare

_Conspicior Me Haud_ (Latin) - Notice-Me-Not

_Forma in Gladius_ (Latin) - Form into Swords

_Obduresco et Chalybs _(Latin) - Becoming as Steel


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 43: **_**Hugs are Punishments too**_

Harry knew that his infamous _Potter Luck_ would not hold out indefinitely, but fortunately it held out long enough for him and the others to reach the main gates. Once they had reached the gates, their luck had finally run out. They were spotted by a couple of half sleeping raiders on the battlements.

The invaders immediately sounded the alarm, rousing the other marauders from their sleep.

Instinctively Harry cast a protective charm over the villagers working on opening the gates while he, Sirius and seven of the other villagers immediately charged against the approaching raiders.

With no real formal training swordsmanship - something he knew that Reddenhound would rectify once they return home, Harry found himself clumsily and wildly hacking and slashing at his opponents, effectively making them keep their distance from him. From the corner of his eyes, the half dog-demon could see his blood-brother flitting to and fro, in and around his opponents with ease and grace that made Harry a bit envious. But he quickly pushed his wayward thought aside as he concentrated on his newest opponent. When a shout from behind him - startling him, Harry turned around in time to see the main gates fly open and a rush of men and women in blackish-purple uniform, the uniform of the Northern Guard, charged through. Instinctively Harry jumped out of the way as he watched his army rush by.

He took the moment of confusion to step back into the shadows and take a deep breath.

||:My Lord.:|| A deep, clipped tone growled from behind the young half demon, causing the young Lord to yelp and jump in the air.

Emerald greens grew wide as he looked up at the auburn-haired Blood Hound. In full battle armor, Reddenhound looked very much like an old Briton Celtic warrior. The older dog-demon's eye were dark, either in anger or in bloodlust Harry did not know which, but the younger demon knew that he was in the proverbial doghouse.

Suddenly his General thrust his hand forward. Wide eyes blinked owlishly as Harry looked at the older demon's hand. His mind barely recognized that there was something in the Blood Hound's hand when from the corner of his eye, the young demon saw a raider charging for the auburn-haired demon's unprotected side. With speed and reflex gifted to him from being both a Seeker and a demon, Harry's body instinctively took a step forward. At the same time, he gripped onto a glittering silver handle adorned with an equally glittering blood-red ruby.

Pivoting on the heel of his left foot, the momentum pulled the Wizardry-famed Gryffindor Sword free from its sheath.

The arch, which cut through the air, glowed a bright sea-green color.

Everything that the sea-green light touched was instantly thrown away as if knocked down by hurricane force winds.

More raiders, including the one that had attempted to kill the Blood Hound, crashed through solid stone walls. None stood again.

Harry immediately turned around. His eyes wide with concern and worry.

||:Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?:|| His emerald gems looked over the older demon for any injuries.

Reddenhound frowned. His right hand relaxed to his side. He had seen the invader's charge and was preparing himself to block the attack when his young Lord reacted first, pulling out the mysterious gaudy blade and creating the strange arch of light. Then the young pup asked _him_ if he was 'alright' and unharmed. The Blood Hound took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

||:My Lord, you and I will be having a long discussion on what is and what is not acceptable actions for a young pup.:|| The General growled out.

Harry blinked then have his General a rueful smile.

||:Yes'sir.:||

* * *

GROAARGH!

The Keep echoed with a deafening roar, causing all the fighters to pause and stare in awe as a giant dragon came crashing down on top of them, killing all beneath it.

||:**FOOLS!**:|| The dragon roared as it let loose a breath of acidic cloud of smoke, not caring that it was killing both Northern Guard and raiders.

||:Weaklings!:|| The dark green - almost black in color - scaled creature bellowed. ||:Can none of you fight me? In your true form?:|| The draconic demon growled out as it stomped on a cluster of invaders, not quick enough to get out of the great beast's way.

Harry quickly grabbed an injured Northern Guard, pulling her to the safety of an archway and covering her body from falling debris caused by the dragon's flailing tail. Looking up, Harry sensed his blood-brother by his side while he continued to watch the enraged dragon, remembering the last time he had dealt with a dragon. _This thing is bigger than a Norwegian Horntail!_

||:The raider's leader.:|| Sirius' calm voice casually stated.

||:His so-called true form?:|| Harry asked.

||:Hn.:||

||:Any ideas?:||

||:Leave the dragon to Reddenhound.:|| Sirius replied, knowing that only an extremely powerful full-blooded demon can harness their bestial form just when suddenly a massive red-coated dog appeared within the crowded Keep.

The giant dog made Fluffy, Hagrid's pet Cerberus, look like a newborn pup. The Blood Hound's fur was short and a beautiful rustic color, and Harry could see an unusual ridge along the demon's spine (1). The fully transformed dog-demon's ears were long and flopped on either side of the demon's massive head.

The Blood Hound lunged at the dragon, landing on the other demon's back and clamping his massive jaws around the dragon's neck.

The dragon roared in pain, rearing up on its hindquarters and falling backwards.

Harry winced as he watched the dragon drop the Blood Hound on his back.

The dog-demon yelped in pain as his back legs kicked against the dragon's tough hide.

The dragon twisted around and swiped with its long claws at the dog-demon's exposed belly.

||:**NO!**:|| Harry screamed as he helplessly watched the night sky became stained in blood.

Without a second thought, Harry and Sirius rushed forward from the safety of the archway.

"_EXCIDO_" Harry shouted as he unsheathed his blade-wand, creating a dull red arch of light.

The light hit the dragon's right hip, drawing blood.

The beast roared in pain, causing it to turn its attention to its newest targets.

Another smoke of acid escaped pass the dragon's lips.

Harry and Sirius disappeared from the smoke's path.

Sirius reappeared beneath the beast's belly. His twin blades glowed with his two elements, fire and ice. He thrust his blades into the creature's vulnerable underbelly.

The dragon roared again.

The Blood Hound, still injured, lunged once more for the monster's back, sinking his teeth into the scaled creature's neck once more.

The beast roared and thrashed to remove both the Blood Hound and Sirius.

Harry reappeared above the dragon's head.

The creature saw one of its prey and made to devour the young half dog-demon whole.

The Northern Lord reached for a simple necklace. With a sharp tug, Harry broke the leather cord.

"_Revertor ad Pristinus Forma._" Harry whispered, feeling the tiny charm return to its natural size.

The dragon's massive maw was open wide, revealing a series of rows of sharp teeth with thick stings of saliva.

Harry looked at the throwing dagger in his hand and gave the blade a light kiss. _You've always protected me, my Beloved._ The half dog-demon thought of his Intended, Severus, _Please, protect me once more._

"_Inferi Igris!_" Harry bellowed as he threw Severus' throwing dagger, which became encased in the Hellish Fire, into the gapping mouth of the dragon.

Harry even blinked in confusion when he noticed that the Fire Fiend had taken the shape of a panther.

However, the young Lord did not have time to think much of the Fire's shape when he felt his body being slammed out of the dragon's way. Feeling himself hanging from a precarious position of the Blood Hound's teeth, Harry just watched with detachment as the beast snapped its jaws shut.

The Mage found himself in an exhaustion induced fit of giggles as the monster blinked owlishly and comically.

The dragon looked about itself in confusion as it began stumbling about.

Suddenly the creature collapsed.

A silence befell the Keep.

The raiders immediately at that moment either surrendered to the Northern Guard or simply ran away once it became clear that their leader was slain.

||:It's over…:|| Harry whispered, feeling fatigue and pain taking over his consciousness.

* * *

"Ngh…" Harry groaned as he pulled himself to wakefulness.

The young Lord could feel the sun warming his face, pulling him further into a hazy wakefulness. A single eye opened, taking in his surrounding. He was in his Palace room. A slight frown marred his face as he tried to remember on how he returned to the Capital City, let alone his own room. A hand rubbed his face as he slowly sat up and groaned. His entire body protested against the movement.

||:Welcome back.:|| A gruff voice murmured, causing the half demon to look up and blinked owlishly at his General.

||:Did I go somewhere?:|| Harry mumbled in confusion.

Reddenhound arched a brow.

||:You've been unconscious for a week.:|| The Blood Hound stated.

||:A week?:|| The Mage mumbled as his brows furrowed together.

||:Perhaps you should rest some more.:||

||:Okay…:|| Harry mumbled as he laid back down, ||:How's your tummy…?:||

The Blood Hound felt his lips twitched upward, watching the young pup trying to fight sleep.

||:My 'tummy' is healed, but you need to rest.:|| Reddenhound stated.

He stood up from his chair and approached the bed. He pulled the pup's blankets over the half demon's shoulders then gently brushed his Lord's thick raven locks away from the youth's forehead, revealing his Lord's unique mark.

||:Rest well, Pup.:|| Sather lightly kissed his Lord's mark, causing the young one to whine in contentment.

* * *

"Ngh…" Harry groaned as he blinked to wakefulness. Looking about him, he let out a deep sigh.

||:Are you with us?:|| A bemused voice asked, causing Harry to groan once more.

||:How long?:||

||:Since you last woke up?:||

||:Yeah…:||

||:Two days.:|| Reddenhound answered.

||:Nine days total…:|| Harry mumbled, ||:New record… I think.:||

The Blood Hound frowned.

||:How's Sirius?:||

||:He is well. Little Kisa has not allowed him to leave his chambers.:|| The General smirked, ||:I believe the human term is that Sirius is 'grounded'.:||

Harry snorted.

||:Ah!:|| The Blood Hound wagged his finger at his Lord, ||:He is not the only one 'grounded'.:||

||:Hunh?:|| The young Lord blinked as he looked at his General.

||:You too are grounded.:||

||:Grounded?:|| The Mage gasped in surprise.

||:Yes! You are far too reckless for your own wellbeing!:||

||:Reckless?:|| Harry repeated.

||:Those humans…:||

Harry frowned as he looked away. He felt his bed dipped before seeing a pair of large hands grasp onto his own smaller ones. Emerald greens stared at the bigger hands and absently wondered if his own hands would ever grow that big or at least warm and strong as his General's hands. The teen had never experienced the warmth nor strength of a pair of strong hands. He remembered Vernon's hands being pudgy and abusive, and Dumbledor's hands were cold and withered. Not even his godfather nor Remus' hands gave Harry the same sense of warmth and safety as Sather's hands did. His godfather's hands were trembling because of the effects from his imprisonment in Azkaban, and Remus' hands may have been kind and warm, but it was also weak because the werewolf kept his inner beast chained. The wizard mentally berated himself for a silly thought and looked up at the older dog-demon.

||:What about them?:|| Harry asked.

||:What have they done to you to make you disregard your own wellbeing?:|| Sather honestly asked as he cupped the pup's cheek.

The younger demon leaned into the kind touch, letting out a heavy sigh.

||:Dunno…:|| The raven-haired pup whispered, ||:I know it's not good but… but it's as if I can't help myself… I have to… I have to be reckless because it's expected of me… because if I don't then they won't need me, and I'll be forgotten… left alone with the Dursleys…:||

Suddenly Harry let out a low pitched whine. A sound that can be heard by all with sensitive hearing but only those of canine blood would understand the meaning of the sound. It was a sound of pain, a cry for help, and a cry of a youngling for their parent. Harry immediately found himself engulfed in a strong embrace. He buried his face into the Blood Hound's thick auburn pelt.

Reddenhound took a deep breath in, taking in the pup's scent, as he let out a low and deep rumble from his chest.

||:You will not be abandoned.:|| The ancient General murmured, ||:You have no need to risk yourself to prove your value to us. You, my dear young Lord, are precious to us.:||

||:Why?:|| Harry's voice was muffled, but Sather heard clearly.

||:Because you are our future.:||

||:I don't understand…:||

||:We have time, Pup… we have plenty of time to teach you and make you understand.:|| The older dog-demon promised his Lord and vowed to himself.

||:Is this part of being grounded?:|| Harry's soft voice innocently asked when he realized that the older demon had not released him from the hug, causing the Blood Hound to smirk.

||:Yes. Yes, it is. You have to bare several more moments in my embrace.:||

||:Uhm… okay…:|| The Mage mumbled, but in all honesty, he did not feel the hug was a punishment of any sort. However, the younger dog-demon kept his opinion to himself. He rather liked this form of punishment.

Translations:

_EXCIDO_ (Latin) - Cut

_Revertor ad Pristinus Forma _(Latin) - Return to original form

_Inferi Igris _(Latin) - Hell Fire

(1) Rhodesian Ridgeback


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 44: **_**Demonic Courtship**_

||:Hey Sirius!:|| Harry greeted his blood-brother, who walked into his chambers after two days of being grounded.

||:Hn.:||

||:Aren't you still grounded?:|| The Northern Lord grinned already knowing the answer to his own question, which caused the stoic hybrid to lightly glare at the emerald-eyed demon.

||:As are you.:|| Sirius replied, which made Harry laugh.

||:Yeah, I know.:|| The half dog-demon goofily smiled, ||:But I should be able to leave my room tomorrow and get some fresh air!:||

||:Hn.:|| The Fire-Ice hybrid grunted while his lips twitched upward in a half smile, understanding completely how the young Northern Lord felt.

||:Wanna know what I'm gonna do when I get outta here?:|| Harry chatted cheerfully.

Siri arched a brow in curiosity, knowing that his _kyodaternus_was not normally this chatty unless he was truly bored out of his mind.

||:I wanna see if I can get some of the dragon's scales…:|| Harry continued, ||:I wanna make them into throwing daggers.:||

||:For your Dark One.:|| Siri stated, causing Harry to goofily grin.

||:Yeah…:|| The Mage replied, ||:It was Severus' dagger that I threw into the dragon's mouth…:||

Harry then frowned.

||:The dragon's scales… it _has_ to be the dragon's scales… why is that? I mean, I know that we have other metals that would work but… it _**has**_ to be the scales.:||

At his Lord's ramblings, Sirius' expression revealed his understanding.

||:You are courting your Dark One.:|| Sirius began, ||:The dragon was your kill.:||

||:You and Reddenhound helped!:|| Harry interrupted.

Siri shook his head in disagreement.

||:The final blow was your's. Your kill.:|| The hybrid insisted, ||:You desire to share and show your kill to your Intended. To prove to the Dark One that you are powerful and able to protect. You are Alpha.:||

Harry just blinked before accepting his blood-brother's explanation.

||:Is it a dog-demon thing or a demon thing in general?:||

||:It is.:||

||:Hunh… so…:|| Harry grinned, ||:What are you gonna get Neville to prove yourself as a good mate?:||

Sirius wrinkled his nose.

||:What? I'm curious.:|| The half demon defended himself.

The hybrid frowned as he had to remind himself that his Lord did not know about demon customs in regards to courting one's mate. While some practices were common knowledge for all demonic kind, such as presenting a prize or trophy of one's kill. Other practices were more intimate and are not discussed so liberally with others. To do so or even to ask about one's courtship was just plain rude.

||:I have something in mind.:|| Sirius stated tactfully.

||:I bet you do.:|| Harry grinned, ||:Well, whatever it is, I know Neville will love it!:||

An elegant brow arched.

||:Well… Neville never really had anything that he can claim as his own.:|| Harry explained with a heavy sigh to his blood-brother's silent question, ||:His clothes, his books… hell, even his wand aren't his… they all belonged to his father.:||

Twin brows rose high into raven-hairline in surprise. The hybrid knew that each Mage, regardless if they were a demon or _nin-nus_, had a unique conduit for their magic. To use another's conduit would only hinder one's true magical potential.

||:Remember the prophecy I talked about awhile ago?:|| Harry sighed, ||:About how the one with the ability to defeat Voldemort will be born at the end of the seventh month? Well… two children were born around that timeframe… me… and…:||

||:Nev-ill.:|| Sirius whispered while his eyes narrowed in anger. Siri could have been lost his mate before he even had the chance of knowing the timid Mage. A low growl rumbled from deep of his throat while the surrounding temperature rose.

||:Yeah… Neville could have easily been chosen as the child of prophecy if Tom hadn't come after me.:|| The raven-haired Mage confirmed.

The growl deepened.

Harry just smiled. While the thought of Neville could have been chosen had haunted the half demon since he learned of their shared birthdays, the Northern Lord was pleased to see his blood-brother being protective of his Intended. _Neville deserves to be cherished and treated like a treasure._ The young Mage thought.

||:Big Brother!:|| A sharp cry broke through the comfortable silence that engulfed the pair.

A pair of emerald green gems blinked then looked at his blood-brother quizzically before an impish grin broke out on his face.

||:Siri!:|| Harry laughed, ||:You snuck out when Kisa wasn't looking!:||

A faint rouge kissed the hybrid's cheeks while his ruby-crimson orbs looked at the open window.

||:Go.:|| Harry ordered, ||:I'll keep her busy.:||

The Fire-Ice hybrid nodded his head as he leapt out the window and onto the rooftop.

||:Ha-ree!:|| Sirius could hear Kisa exclaim.

The quiet demon truly did love the little she-demon; however, he was very uncomfortable with her constant presence and asking if he was well or in need of anything. He knew that she meant well, but having lived as long as he had without someone tending to or caring for him, Sirius was unaccustomed to the attention.

||:Kisa!:|| Harry grunted cheerfully.

||:Where is Big Brother?:||

||:He's not in his room?:||

||:No, he is not.:||

||:He's probably in the loo.:|| His Lord replied then Sirius heard movement, ||:Hey Kisa, wanna read to me? I'm rather lonely.:||

||:Okay!:|| She chirped as more movement can be heard before Kisa's light voice began reading some story that the young Mage had in his room.

With a nod to no one specifically, Sirius disappeared from the rooftop of the Northern Lord's Palace.

* * *

Sirius fleeted across the rooftops of the Palace estates until the buildings gave away to a small forest, enclosed within the Palace walls. The Fire-Ice hybrid landed along the tree line, looking around to see if he was seen by Reddenhound's men. It was not just Kisa that the raven-haired youth had 'snuck away' from but Reddenhound as well.

Ever since they had returned from the Keep, the General was relentless in his pursuit in ensuring that both Harry and Sirius received plenty of bed rest.

The stoic demon quietly walked into the forest, following the hidden trail that he had found during his first couple of days as his Lord's bodyguard. The trail led into an underground barrow that once belonged to a demonic rabbit. An _us'cuni_ was much like a rabbit in the human world but was about the size of a wild boar. Sirius had seen these creatures roaming freely in the forests outside of the Capital City. He had hunted them for food and clothing and had used their barrows for shelter as a child. He knew from past experience that these barrows were spacious and very warm, which was very important for the Fire-Ice hybrid.

Sirius' footsteps softly echoed in the underground caverns. His ruby-crimson eyes glowed in the darkness as he kept his senses opened for intruders. While he felt confident that not even the groundskeeper knew of his little hiding spot, the stoic youth was not going to let his guard down. He finally reached the main cavern of the barrow as a soft florescent glow came to view. The main cavern had glowing moss growing along the walls, illuminating the entire cavern better than a torch.

Sirius shed his outer coat as he entered the warm and humid cavern. He could feel his clothes cling to his flesh, but he did not let the uncomfortable humidity bother him as he approached the far wall. Kneeling down in front of a small alcove, the hybrid gently brushed aside a pile of the glowing moss, revealing a gentle earth-colored stone-like object. At first glance, the stone was nothing of significant notice, but Sirius knew that it was not the case. He knew that this so-called stone was actually an egg.

The Fire-Ice hybrid had found the egg among the loot of one of his kills. When the Northern Guard finally took the Keep, Sirius had helped in clearing the tunnels of any raiders potentially hiding before Reddenhound had placed the stoic youth 'under arrest'. In one of the tunnels, the raven-haired demon had found a cavern, similar to this one on the Northern Palace's grounds. A raider had tried to escape when he crossed paths with Sirius. Naturally the pair had dueled, but the invader was no match for the hybrid. And among Fire demons, they hold a belief of one 'kept what one killed'. During their impromptu battle, the raider had dropped his loot and accidentally trampled over his pack. And afterwards, Sirius naturally examined his newly acquired loot and found the Feydragon eggs but only one survived.

Before Sirius had the chance to tuck the egg away, Reddenhound had found him and promptly had dragged him to the surface, placing him 'under arrest' for 'not having enough sense to allow a healer to check him for injuries'. The Blood Hound's exact words, and of course, once the older dog-demon had discovered the true extent of both Harry's and his own injuries, the General was livid. Even now, Sirius could still hear a slight ringing from the verbal beating he and his Lord received from the enraged Blood Hound. However, the hybrid had managed to sneak away once more, before the Guard returned to the Palace, to the underground caverns at the Keep, rescuing the stone-shaped egg.

The egg was that of a Feydragon, the smallest of all dragon species. The wingspan of a Feydragon could range anywhere from the width of a hand or the length of a forearm. They were bi-winged, which allow the tiny draconic creature to hover in mid-air much like a humming bird. Their beautiful scales were highly sought after by jewelry-makers, which caused the species to be endangered of becoming extinct. Currently there was a law passed by all of the Four Great Lords that decreed against poaching of the Feydragons, and those who would break the decree would be met with heavy punishment.

Sirius, however, had no intention of poaching the tiny creature. He knew exactly what he intended to do with the egg when he had first seen it. He was going to present it to his Intended as a new Familiar.

A soft smile graced the quiet demon's face as he slowly increased the temperature of the cavern and turned the dragon egg around. The small egg would require daily attention and turning before it would be safe to transport it again. The Fire-Ice hybrid hoped that his mate would accept his gift and his courtship.

* * *

||:You know what?:|| Harry mumbled as he walked out of the Portal Gate with Hedwig perched on his shoulder and Sirius by his side.

||:Hn.:||

||:If it wasn't for my Mate and our Pack, I don't think I'd voluntarily return to the Human World.:||

Twin brows disappeared into raven-black hairline. This was the first time that the Northern Lord had openly admitted of which realm he truly viewed as his home.

||:Would you leave this world in the hands of the Dark Lord?:|| The hybrid asked, causing Harry to turn around so sharply that Hedwig fluttered her wings in annoyance.

||:Don't ever call Tom that!:||

A brow arched in question and in confusion.

||:That bastard is nothing more than a psychopath with delusions of grandeur and abandonment issues. He doesn't deserve any form of acknowledgement of power from us, especially from us! So don't you _dare_ call him that!:|| The half dog-demon growled out.

Slowly a small smirk graced the stoic hybrid's face, which confused the young Mage.

Emerald green gems then narrowed in suspicion.

||:You weren't talking about Tom, were you?:||

Sirius only shook his head as Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair.

||:Dark Lords come in all shapes and sizes, don't they?:|| The young Lord asked no one, ||:But to answer your question… yeah, I would… in all reality, the Muggles aren't in real danger… not even from Tom. There's too many of them and not enough wizards.:|| Harry replied as he looked up into the sky, ||:Hell, there isn't enough powerful wizards to begin with… I mean, if there were other wizards as powerful as Tom and Dumbledor, I don't think we would be having this fucking power struggle between the two.:||

Sirius looked thoughtfully. He had not really thought about his Lord's magical strength. He knew that among the _nin-nus_, Harry's strength was near god-like, but among the other Mage of Ma-Terrarum, the Northern Lord's powers were average but with potential to be more. After all, the Mageling was still young. He was not even a Quarter Mark old, 25 years old in _nin-nus_ terms, which meant that the Northern Lord had a lot of potential of being the most powerful Mage, even among the _youm'_.

||:It's as if Magik is fading away from the humans…:|| The raven-haired dog-demon whispered when his eyes suddenly grew wide in astonishing epiphany.

Ruby-crimson orbs blinked owlishly.

||:I mean, I've noticed that there's been less and less students.:|| Harry gasped, ||:But I thought it was because of this stupid war, you know, parents pulling their kids out to protect them… but what if it is _really_ because Magik is disappearing… oh man!:||

A firm hand squeezed the young Mage's shoulder, causing him to look at his blood-brother.

||:Do not concern yourself of such things.:|| Sirius remarked with a slight shake of his head.

||:You're right.:|| The Northern Lord sighed, ||:Worry about the things that I _can_ change, and let Nature and Magik run their course.:||

||:Hn.:||

The young Mage smiled as he turned around and continued toward Hogwarts. As they came closer to the castle, the dense forest began to break and thin out. Just a few feet from the tree line, emerald green gems noticed two figures waiting for them. One the young Northern Lord easily identified as Kaguumb, his Shadow, due to his tall and lithe frame. The other was smaller and feminine in shape. A gentle waft of willow tickled the half demon's nose, revealing the other being Luna.

Stepping in front of the aloof witch, Harry blinked in surprise that he had to _actually_ look _down_.

"You've grown." Luna's dreamily-dazed voice simply stated.

"It would seem so." Harry chuckled while scratching the back of his head, "Have I been gone long?"

"Only five days." The Ravenclaw female answered.

||:Anything?:|| Harry addressed his Shadow.

||:The Undead has been unusually silent as has the Withering One.:|| Kaguumb's steely-blues looked into emerald green orbs.

Images of the past five days within the Human World flooded into Harry's mind. Images of his Pack being followed by the Ice Emerald Dragon and his Wing while his Sister-Lead was being stalked by the weak, mangy Lion and his new Pride. Images of his Dark One teaching his classes while trying to avoid the oily Eel's advances. Those images drew a low and dangerous growl from the Northern Lord. Then images of the Withering One entered his mind, but there was something odd about Kaguumb's memories of the ancient Headmaster.

The image of his newest nemesis was something akin to a double-exposed film. One image was that of the Headmaster as Harry knew him - old and decrepit - while the overlapping image was that of another man - a young man with golden blonde hair and a cold smile that raised the half demon's hackles.

"Harry?" Luna's aloof voice pulled the Northern Lord to the present.

The half demon took a deep breath.

"I'm okay." He answered, "Just a lot of information to take in."

"Do you need to see Ginny?"

"No… it'll pass." At the mention of their pack-mate, the Gryffindor suddenly realized that his aloof Ravenclaw was suppose to be in class. "Luna, why aren't you in class? You're not skipping class to see me?"

Luna let out a light laugh.

"No," She explained, "I'm suppose to have Care of Magical Creature at this time but…"

"Hagrid is still missing?" He frowned.

"Yes, and the Headmaster does not have a substitute… so he had decided to make all of Hagrid's classes into a study hall until he returns."

Emerald green met with steely-blue. _Go. Find Hagrid and report back what's going on._ Kaguumb bowed his head and disappeared into nothingness.

The Northern Lord knew that there was not much he could do now. Voldemort was laying-in-waiting, and as much as the young man enjoyed the silence that echoed through their mysterious link, it unnerved the half demon as well. And even Dumbledor seem to be buying his time to strike. After the Battle of the Keep, Harry learned the importance of having intelligence on one's enemies; having the right intelligence meant the difference between coming home alive or dead. He knew that his youth and youthful impatience would be his Achilles Heel, but he would have to wait and learn more of his enemies. With that dreary thought, the Mage gave his pack-mate a soft smile before offering her his arm.

"Walk with me to the dungeons?"

"I would be honored." She smiled as she accepted his arm.

||:Go.:|| Harry turned to Sirius, ||:Find Neville.:||

In a blink of an eye, the hybrid disappeared, causing Luna to giggle as she knew exactly where her silent blood-brother had disappeared to.

Translations:

_us'cuni_ (youma-lingua) - rabbit

_nin-nus_ (youma-lingua) - human

_youm' _(youma-lingua) - demon

_kyodaternus_(youma-lingua) - Brother-in-Arms (heart)


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 45: **_**Neville's Familiar **_

He fleeted through the castle halls, staying close to the shadows to avoid being seen by the human younglings and their instructors. His nose twitched as he picked up the sweet scent of his Intended. Subconsciously he patted his chest, re-assuring himself that his Gift was safely tucked in the warm folds of his cloak. He instinctively picked up speed as his Beloved's cool and yet solid scent became stronger.

A few more moments and Sirius came to a stop by a closed door. The Fire-Ice hybrid stayed hidden as he scented and heard that his Mate was not alone nor did he not have to wait long for soon the castle thundered to life. The dismissal bell boomed loudly, causing the hybrid's triangular ears to lay flat against his skull, but he did not move from his hiding spot.

The door to the classroom slammed open as streams of students rushed out.

A thin brow arched as Sirius could feel the warm air pooling out of the classroom, and quickly he noticed that the classroom looked so much similar to the familiar clearing in his Lord's Forest. The raven-haired demon slipped further into the shadows, ignoring the chittering and clucking chatter of the _nin-nus_ walking by. But he did not fail to notice the students' Allegiances; red and gold, and blue and bronze.

The blue and bronze, Sirius quickly noted, bore the mark of the Raven. The hybrid remembered that their Shiv'n was once a member of this flock; however, they were cruel and did not understand the Blessing they had by having one of Shiv' Children among them. With a mental shrug, Sirius dismissed the Raven flock as unimportant of his attention. He quickly returned his attention to the Bearers of the Lion, the former pride of his Mate. His ruby-crimson eyes scanned the younglings' faces to find his Mate, but his Intended was not in the mix of red and gold. And it was while he was looking for his Match, Sirius noticed a fraction within the Lion pride.

A slight frown marred the stoic demon's face when he finally noticed the anomaly among the Lions… a small number of them were wearing a strange broach on their outer garment, a 'robe' as his Lord had called it. At first glance, the broach looked like an intricate knot, but Sirius' demonic sight picked up the subtle design of a stylized dog intertwined in itself a knot. For the time being, Sirius put the strange broach out of his mind as he easily slipped into the classroom after the last student had left, letting the door close behind him.

Once inside, the Fire-Ice hybrid took in a deep breath as he marveled at the sorcery within the classroom. Each of his five senses were telling him that he was in the clearing in the Forest, but his mind clearly remembered entering the room inside the castle. And while he was smelling the clean forest, he could also scent his _nakam-cius_. Without hesitation, Sirius immediately went to his awaiting Mate.

The young demon found his Nev-ill kneeling before a bush of beautiful purplish-blue flowers. The timid Mage had his eyes closed while his fingers were gently caressing the flower petals. His fingertips held a soft golden glow to them. And as Nev-ill caressed the flower petals, the faint glow would seep into the plant and faintly - or perhaps it was the hybrid's imagination - Sirius could hear the flowers sigh in contentment. After each caress, the flowers seemed to stand a bit straighter and healthier. _He's an Earthspeaker._ The young demon mentally purred in delight.

Stretching his senses out, the Fire-Ice hybrid checked to see if he and his Intended were truly alone. The young demonic guard immediately sensed the presence of another. Something similar he had sensed within the surrounding forest. He had never seen the source of this feeling, but his blood-brother had told him of half _nin-nus_ and half horse creatures called cent-tars. He was told that these cent-tars were reclusive creatures and did not like to interact with the _nin-nus_, and yet here was one… among the younglings no less!

Suddenly the cent-tar appeared nearby, snapping Sirius' attention toward his Intended. A low and deep growl rippled from the lithe demon's chest as he watched the cent-tar approach too close to his Mate. His Nev-ill was still blissfully unaware of the cent-tar's presence.

The cent-tar just watched the timid Mage with an expression that only the trained eye could see. It was an expression of confused disbelief, which slowly morphed into an expression that caused the hybrid's inner beast to roar - desire. The obviously male creature lowered his front quarters as he was about to reach out and touch Sirius' Mate.

A wave of possessiveness took over Sirius' thoughts as he exploded from his hiding spot. Calling forth the destructive elements of fire and ice, the stoic hybrid created a barrier around his Match, protecting him from the cent-tar.

The half _nin-nus_ and half horse quickly leapt back to his hooves and reared away from the wall of cold fire that surrounded the timid brunette, who continued to remain unaware of his surroundings.

"Neville Longbottom!" The cent-tar cried in alarm; however, his shouting did nothing to rouse the quiet Mage from his trance.

The small fraction of himself that was not consumed by his inner beast was pleased to know that his Nev-ill was still in his trance, not bothered by the fact that the hybrid had surrounded the Earthspeaker in a protective wall of fire and ice.

Sirius placed himself between the cent-tar and his Mate. His hands resting, lightly and yet meaningfully, on the handles of his twin jutte. He bore his fangs, unaware that the marking of the Haijime signet was glowing on his brow and that his eyes were beginning to bleed in color. The hybrid's usual crimson-ruby gems glowed to a shade of burgundy-black.

"Leave!" Sirius growled at the cent-tar.

The cent-tar stomped the ground while his large blue eyes grew wide in surprise.

"A darkling…" The cent-tar said in a much calmer tone.

Sirius growled at the archaic name of his kin.

"You and yours left this world long ago," he continued, "why are you here?"

||:That is none of your concern.:|| The Fire-Ice hybrid replied, not caring that the cent-tar understood him or not.

"A darkling would only appear to herald-in the end of the world…" The cent-tar stated, not appearing to be bothered that Sirius spoke in his native tongue. His light eyes then landed on Nev-ill, causing Sirius to shift his position and blocking his Intended from the cent-tar's view.

"You have come for Neville Longbottom." He stated rather than asked while his shoulder sagged in a sign of wariness, "Perhaps you can give him a better future than what I have seen in the stars."

"Siri!" A sharp gasp drew the pair's attention to Neville, who finally awoke from his trance.

Neville's complexioned paled when he realized that one of his professors had discovered his Fire-Ice hybrid. Instinctively the timid wizard placed himself by Sirius' side with his wand at the ready. Although terrified at the thought of having to fight the kind centaur, Neville was prepared to fight in order to protect the stoic demon, his demon.

A heavy silence fell over the classroom turned forest before it was broken by the gentle swoosh of the creature's tail.

"I see…" The Divination Professor replied, "the elements are converging together in harmony."

"Professor Firenze?" Neville called in concern.

"Fear not, Neville Longbottom." Firenze assured the teen wizard with a sad smile , "The darkling's presence will remain a secret with me; however, my other kin may not be so accepting… after all there is much discontent between our two peoples - the Kentauroi and the darklings."

This caused Neville to look at Sirius in absolute concern. The young Gryffindor knew about Sirius and Harry's nightly patrols through the Forbidden Forest, home of Firenze's former Herd. The thought of either Harry or Sirius being harmed by Bane and his Herd worried the brunette. He made a mental note to warn his Alpha of the potential threat from the centaurs in the forest.

"I will leave you two. It would seem that you have much to discuss." Firenze said as he began walking away, "And darkling, listen to your heart."

The oddity and yet the honesty of the advice surprised the Fire-Ice hybrid that his eyes lost their burgundy hues and returned to their gentle crimson-ruby shades. Sirius felt his Nev-ill reach out and gently held the demon's hand in his own.

"Siri?" Neville whispered, "You okay?"

"_Haita_." Sirius softly answered, "Sensed kind in forest… not nice… worried hurt you."

Neville smiled at his demon's broken English as he stepped into Sirius' space and wrapped his arms around the lithe hybrid's body. The teen found himself relaxing into Sirius' natural heat.

"Thank you for protecting me."

"Always." Sirius answered, ||:I will always protect you.:||

Instinctively the timid wizard burrowed himself deeper into Sirius' arms. The stoic demon purred in comfort and contentment when suddenly Neville pulled away with a slight frown on his face. A thin black brow arched when the hybrid noticed his Intended looking at his chest.

Shy hands reached up and lightly touched the small bulge that the young Gryffindor had felt. Sirius chuckled at his Match's child-like curiosity, causing the brunette to blush when he realized that he was touching the dark-haired demonic teen without so much of by-your-leave.

"S'rry…" Neville mumbled as he was about to take his hands away, but they were caught in a gentle but firm grip.

"_Il-lus_…" Sirius replied while, with a free hand, he pulled out his Gift and gently placed it into his _nin-nus_' hands.

Wide eyes blinked in confusion before melting away into surprise.

"It's beautiful!" Neville gasped as he held the small stone-gem in the palm of his hands.

It was warm to the touch and had an array of earthy-hued colors that the young wizard found fascinating. The shy brunette gently caressed the beautiful tigers-eye egg-shaped gem when suddenly he was startled by an unexpected push against his hands. Neville looked down at his gift and was surprised to see the gem cracking.

It was then that Neville realized that Sirius had given him an egg. Of what, the timid wizard had no idea. He watched as the crack slowly grew bigger and bigger. He was unaware that he was quietly whispering words of encouragement to the unknown life trying to break free from its shell, and he was unaware that the stoic demon had a soft smile on his face, making him appear younger than he really was.

Few more moments pass when without warning the egg broke in two, revealing a creature that looked to be a cross breed of a Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly and an extremely tiny dragon. The creature's forewing and hind-wing stretched out and flexed, showing off a beautiful array of blacks, bronzes and golds. The forewings were a simple shade of black with faded gold tips and white spots alone the edge. The hind-wings were bronze with goldish-orange rosette spots along the edge. The creature took an unsteady wobble out of its broken shell on its draconic shaped hindquarter.

Its head lifted up while its amber-hued green eyes blinked against the sudden bright light. With another flex of its wings, the little creature was soon in the air. Its long tail swayed back and forth, giving it balance in the air. Suddenly the tiny thing zipped out of sight and straight into Neville's thick locks.

The timid wizard let out a startled cry when he watched the creature rocket into his hair. He then giggled as he felt the strange thing burrow itself into his dark locks and was immediately surprised when he felt it purring in contentment. Wide brown eyes turned to bemused crimson orbs.

"Siri?"

"Fey-drag-gone." Sirius slowly stated the _nin-nus_ word.

"Feydragon?" The teen repeated as Sirius nodded he head, "Where did you get it?"

"Ma-Terrarum."

"Really?" The brunette exclaimed excitedly, "Thank you!"

The stoic hybrid let out a deep purr when his Intended accepted his Gift and embraced the Fire-Ice demon. Sirius gently nuzzled his face into his Match's neck, taking in the Mageling's scent.

"Bet-ter Fam-mee-'ar." The Raven-haired demon whispered, startling his brunette to look innocently into Sirius' crimson orbs.

"Better familiar?" Neville repeated, "You… you gave me a familiar? … a _real_ familiar?"

"Hn."

A silence fell over the young pair. Neville looked and searched the vast red pools that were his demon's eyes, but the teen could not find the answer he was looking for. The timid wizard could not understand why would Sirius do that. Why would a powerful demon gift him - a barely above par wizard - with a familiar when his own flesh and blood would not?

Suddenly he looked away, fighting an unbeatable blush that stretched across his face and down his neck. Sirius' gaze was unwavering and honest, but the quiet Gryffindor just did not understand the emotions that he was seeing.

"Why?" Neville asked while burying his face into his demon's chest, "Harry told you, didn't he?"

Sirius frowned at the accusation towards their blood-brother and the self-loathing. Mindful of his claws, the Fire-Ice hybrid caressed his Mate's cheek, making him look up.

"_Shih'nus_ say Fam-mee-'ar special." He repeated then wrinkled his nose, "Frog not special."

A humorless chuckle escaped from Neville as the teen gave the demon a rueful smile.

"You're right." Neville stated, "Trevor's not special… he's a simple toad that my grandmother found in the garden before sending me to King's Crossing when I was 11 years old… she told me that I didn't deserve a familiar… she said that I was… that I am too weak."

Sirius growled; angry that his Intended's own kin would purposively harm him.

||:Bitch! She knows nothing of strength nor of the strength you possess. You are like the Earth - solid and steady, and you are like the Wind - breathing ever life to all… do you not see your own hidden talents with the trees and the flowers? You are an Earthspeaker; you are very powerful. And you are mine.:||

Neville just looked at his demon. He had never heard Sirius speak for so long or so passionately.

Boldly, Neville leaned up and closed the gap between Sirius and him, surprising the raven-haired demon.

The Fire-Ice hybrid froze as he felt his Intended's lips touch his own in a chaste kiss. He gently leaned into the kiss, pouring his heart into the simple touch and causing his Mate to moan.

||:You are mine as I am yours.:|| The raven-haired demon whispered against his _nin-nus_' lips, ||:I will protect you and love you… and I will show you that you are strong, my Nev-ill.:||

Translations:

_nin-nus_ (youma-lingua) - human

_Haita _(youma-lingua) - yes

_Il-lus_ (youma-lingua) - no

_Shih'nus_ (youma-lingua) - Lord

_Nakam-cius _(youma-lingua) - Intended, mate prior to be officiated


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 46: **_**Courting the Dark One**_

"Are you certain that you don't want to see Ginny?" Luna asked after Sirius had disappeared them their sight.

"Yeah," Harry replied, "like I said, it'll pass."

"What did you see?" The Ravenclaw witch asked while her Lord opened the great doors for her.

"Quite a bit." The Northern Lord replied absently while he looked around him, looking for any sign of a threat or perhaps one of Malfoy's associates. The Mage was not certain of which.

"They are in class." Luna's aloof and dreamy voice stated, causing emerald eyes to look down.

A brow arched, making the Shiv'n smile.

"Draco's friends." She clarified, "They are in class."

"So you've noticed them following you and the others."

"Yes."

"And?"

"I sensed no ill-will from them. Plus, their presence kept Ronald at bay." The blonde explained, "Even Ginny agreed, it was for the best."

"Hm." The half demon murmured as he led his pack-mate further down the corridors toward the dungeons. "And Ron? Aside from stalking Gin', has he done anything else?"

"Nothing worth mentioning."

"Any word from the Twins?" Harry asked, wanting to get the situation of Ron possibly exploiting the raven-haired Gryffindor for the redhead's own gain out of the way.

"No, not that I know of, but Ginny did receive a missive this morning during breakfast."

"I'll ask then." The teen remarked as a comfortable silence felt over the pair.

It was not until they have reached the dark halls of the lower levels of the dungeons that Harry broke the silence.

"One of the images that Kaguumb showed me was of the Headmaster."

"Oh?"

"But there was something odd about it." Harry's brows furrowed together as he tried to understand the double-exposed memory. "Muggles take pictures using a camera and film… kinda like what Colin has… and sometimes a frame on the film gets double-exposed… taking a picture of one thing and then another, and a second picture is superimposed on the first."

"Sounds fascinating…" Luna murmured, "Do you think Colin would create one of those for me?"

Harry just shrugged.

"Are you seeing the Headmaster Double-Exposed?' The aloof witch then asked.

"Yeah… I saw him as he is - an old man, but I also saw a young blonde with a cold and malicious smile… kinda reminds me of a shark."

"A shark can smile?" The Ravenclaw witch blinked owlishly, causing Harry to lightly laugh at his pack-mate.

"It means that there is no emotion in his smile… that whoever this blonde guy is… he's very dangerous."

This caused the young witch to pause.

"More dangerous than the Dark Lord?"

"Tom is nuts. That's dangerous enough, but it's a danger you can see. This guy… he's different kind of dangerous." The Northern Lord stated then asked, "Have you Seen the Headmaster?"

Luna knew that her blood-brother was referring to her Third Eye. She shook her head then looked away as if in shame.

"I cannot explain it, but when I am near him, I feel this revulsion, and I hide myself… it is the only time that I do not fear my Eye of being revealed."

She felt her head being lifted up, making her look up into her Lord's emerald green gems.

"Nothing to be ashamed of, my Shiv'n." The Gryffindor purred, "Somehow you know that the Headmaster is a threat."

"Of what kind, my Lord?"

"Dunno, but if you're subconsciously 'hiding' from him then don't go near him. Stay away from him as much as you can, or at least have one of us nearby, alright?"

"As you wish." The blonde lowered her eyes, showing her willing submission to her Alpha's commands.

The pair stopped in front of the Potions class when the dismissal bell thunderously chimed, and the door to the classroom burst wide open. Immediately students poured out of the dungeon classroom, revealing that the Potions class was of second year Hufflepuff and Gryffindor students. From the shadows, Harry watched the younglings walk by and noticed an odd broach worn by a few of the Gryffindors. Inquisitive Elysian gems turned to the aloof Ravenclaw witch, who just kindly smiled. She knew what had caught the half demon's attention. It was a Celtic Dog Knot.

The knot itself was of a single hound on a slender and rectangular piece of metal, and it was no bigger than the length of Luna's pinky finger. The design itself came from Hermione. When Harry had left for the demon world, she was the most troubled by his departure that she found herself drawing the knot. Ginny saw the drawing and felt that it was fitting to somehow wear the dog knot as a sign of their allegiance to Harry. Neville then transfigured each of their old DA coins into a broach. And not before long, several other students began copying the small Pack, unknowingly showing their true allegiance to Harry Potter rather than to Dumbledor and his Light faction.

"Do I even want to know?" Harry asked. A brow arched when the blonde witch then adjusted her robes to reveal that she too wore a similar broach.

"We follow the Cwn Annwn." Luna simply said then began to follow the second year students, "Good Luck."

The young Mage shook his head as he quietly slipped into his Intended's classroom, still shrouded in shadows and his demonic features unhidden by the concealment spell. Silently he approached his Dark One's desk and watched as Severus went about the classroom, gathering papers. _They must have had a test._ The teen thought before placing a simple wooden box on his Mate's desk and took a step back.

Severus paused for a moment, tilting his head to the side when he heard something being placed on his desk. He had sensed another presence in his classroom when his students had left and swiftly recognized the presence belonging to his favorite pain in the arsch, Harry. Immediately his thoughts turned toward the raven-haired teen, making him wonder where the Gryffindor wizard had disappeared to for the past five days. The Potions Master had inquired about the youth's location, but the young man's friends were rather cryptic… _Answering his people's call._ Severus frowned when Ms. Granger had told him, first fearing that the Headmaster might have just handed Harry to the proverbial wolves, but the dark wizard quickly dismissed that thought.

The Slytherin knew that his ancient Master had other plans for the teen when the youth defeat the Dark Lord. And Severus had no doubt the Gryffindor raven-haired would defeat his other Master, it was just a matter of _when_.

… _answering his people's call…_ The phrase made the Potions Master wonder of whom Harry would call 'his people'. The raven-haired Professor knew it was not the Wizarding World since the teen was never truly part of the magical world. The Headmaster made sure of that.

The older wizard shook his head and returned to his desk. Thin brows furrowed together when he saw a wooden box on his desk. Slowly he approached his desk, placing the gathered papers to one corner. Looking down at the box, obsidian-black orbs took in the beautiful and yet simple carving on box' lid. The carving was of a stylized image of a dog attacking a vicious looking dragon. Long and elegant fingers gently caressed the carving as Severus felt an aura of love and protective desire.

The Slytherin quickly withdrew his hand while looking thoroughly confused. His black gems looked about him, trying to find the hiding teen.

"I know you're still here, Brat." The Potions Master drawled; however, he received no answer, save for a sensation that his Brat was amused. The dark wizard rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "Fine. Be that way."

Slowly he opened the wooden box, and his eyes grew wide at the sight of the box' contents. Inside Severus found a dozen throwing daggers. The daggers were the length of a woman's hand from tip to butt. The handles were wrapped with dark silk-linen wrappings. The blades themselves were slender and could easily be hidden in the Potions Master's palm. While the Slytherin was surprised that Harry would give him a set of throwing daggers, the dark wizard was mesmerized by the blades themselves.

He had never seen metal with such colors before. Gently he picked up one of the daggers, surprised at the light feel of it. As Severus turned the blade this way out and that, at first glance, he thought the blades were black as slate, but the light from the magical torches drew out an array of green hues. The Slytherin then flipped the blade in his hand, resting it on its side on the edge of his finger. The dagger rested in perfect balance before with another flick of his wrist, the dark wizard caught the dagger in mid-air. In a blink of an eye, Severus threw the blade.

THUK.

Emerald green orbs slowly blinked as Harry felt a slight sting against his cheek. His lips twitched into a smirk.

"Alright, Brat, where did you get them?" The older wizard asked while he, with practiced ease and care, hid the throwing daggers away on his person.

"You like them?" The young Gryffindor asked as he stepped out of the shadows - his demonic features hidden once more - and with the throwing dagger in his hand.

The Potions Professor paused with a dagger in hand, looking at the blade in realization that his indeed like the weapons. He just sniffed at the question, ignoring the knowing and bemused smirk on the younger wizard's face.

"And if I did, what will you do about it?" The Slytherin challenged.

Harry's smirk turned dark while his orbs darkened with desire.

Severus let out at sharp gasp when he felt his body was slammed against the wall behind him while he also felt a wall of muscles being pressed against his front. It took a few seconds for the dark wizard to realize that his assailant was his Brat. Before he could give the teen a piece of his mind, the Potions Master quickly discovered that he could not say a word as his mouth was being attacked by the younger wizard.

The Gryffindor pressed his body deeper against his Intended, trying to blend their two bodies together. He had slammed his mouth against Severus' while plunging his tongue into the Slytherin's cavern and feeling his Match's own appendage battling against the half demon's tongue. The raven-haired teen began to purr when he felt the older wizard's hands rake through the young man's thick locks.

Severus moaned in delight when his body shuddered from a deep vibration coming from the teen. The Potions Master tilted his head up as he gasped for air. He let loose another moan when he felt a series of butterfly nibs along his exposed neck.

"Missed… you…" Harry whispered between each nib.

"How…?" Severus' voice was breathy and yet deep with lust, "Gone… only… five days…"

Obsidian orbs rolled back when he felt Harry roll his hips into the Slytherin's. A deep and throaty groan escaped pass Severus' lips.

The dark wizard knew that his young lover was passionate nor did his Brat fear in pouring every once of that passion into each of their encounters; however, the Potions Master never had experienced this type of hunger before. It was as if Harry was a man dying of thirst, and Severus was the life-saving oasis.

The Slytherin could feel a tension building within himself, threatening to consume him. He held onto his Brat as the Gryffindor continued to assault his slender neck with nibs and kisses and as the teen continued to roll his hips into the dark wizard's. The older raven-haired man was unaware that he had subconsciously wrapped his strong and lean legs around Harry's waist. He was equally unaware of the teen's strong grip on his hips as Severus matched the teen's movement with his own, creating more tension within him until…

"_**AerE!**_" Severus gasped as his body shook from his release.

He gave another gasp when he felt a sharp pain on his neck and Harry's own tense frame shuddering.

Then reality suddenly came crashing around the pair. Severus gave the Gryffindor a slight shove before his fist came flying around, connecting with the teen's lips. Harry felt his head snap to the side and his lips pulsate while giving his Intended a dark look. He could not help the shot of lust rushing through him as he watched his Dark One right himself as if nothing had happened. A feral grin graced the half demon's lips, causing him to wince in pain. The Mageling brushed his thumb against his tender lip then looked down to see his own blood.

His Inner Beast purred in delight. His Match drew blood. The Shadow Hound licked his blood from his thumb clean before licking his lips, causing his _nin-nus_ to look away with a healthy rouge kissing his cheeks.

"Well, Brat," Severus began, completely unaware of the affectionate tone in his voice as he said the pet name, "you didn't answer my question… where did you get the kunai?"

And just like that the dark desire disappeared from Harry's emerald green gems while the younger wizard blinked owlishly in confusion. The Slytherin mentally pushed aside the thought of how 'cute' the Gryffindor looked when confused.

"Koon-nye?"

"Kunai - the throwing daggers." The Potions Master asked as he continued to straighten himself up, "Where did you get them?"

"Uhm…" Harry stuttered while instantly fighting a blush.

The dark wizard suddenly felt proud at the sight of his stuttering and blushing Brat. _You're not only one who could make people squirm._

" 'Uhm' is not an answer." Severus drawled out, smirking at the deeper shade of red tattooed on Harry's cheeks.

"I made them…" The teen half mumbled and half whispered, causing it to be the Slytherin's turn to blink owlishly.

"Excuse me?" He replied, "You _made_ them?"

The Gryffindor nodded, not trusting his own voice.

"How? When? Why?" Shock colored the Potions Master's voice as he looked at the young man, who had two madmen out to control him and an entire community expecting him to protect them.

Finally having the blush under control, the half demon just shrugged. The raven-haired youth did not know how he could explain that it took him three weeks to work the draconic scales; no never mind the fact that the scales were of demonic origin. However, he knew that he could not _not_ answer his Match because his Dark One would seek out the truth, in one fashion or another.

"I…" The half dog-demon began, "I won the materials, and it took me a while to make the koon-nye. As to why… it's proof."

"Proof? Proof of what?"

"Proof that I am worthy of your attention." The teen replied.

"Worthy of my attention?" The older wizard repeated in disbelief his brows furrowed together, "Are you trying to… C-court me?"

Obsidian orbs grew wide in surprise.

Harry did not answer but stepped closer to his Mate. He immediately closed the gap between them, giving his Intended a deep kiss.

Severus did not resist the kiss; rather, he equally shared in the kiss, giving as equally taking.

Slowly the pair parked, breathing in the other's breath.

"Yes." The Gryffindor wizard whispered, "Yes, I am."

Translations:

_AerE _(Parseltongue) - Harry

_nin-nus_ (youma-lingua) - human


	50. Chapter 50

_**Author's disclaimer: Any reference to Inu Yasha belongs to writer and illustrator Rumiko Takahashi.**_

**Chapter 47: **_**Asking for Help**_

"HARRY!" The Pack cheered when they saw their Alpha join them for supper, causing the young Lead to smile warmly at his family.

As one, they surrounded the lithe male and enveloped him in a tangled mess of hugs. The half dog-demon suddenly felt a tension, one that he was unaware of possessing, disappear as he physically touched each member of his Pack, re-assuring himself that they were safe and near. He held onto Hermione tightly and did not let her leave his side as the others began to lead the raven-haired wizard to the Gryffindor Table.

"Did everything go well?" Hermione whispered, knowing that the half demon would hear her even over the din of the Great Hall.

"Everything went fine." Harry whispered into his blood-sister's ear.

She smiled and found herself leaning into her _ot'frat_ side. She suddenly felt the queasiness in her stomach begin to subside. Ever since Harry had left for the demon world, the Gryffindor witch had been feeling ill at ease, barely able to eat anything. While the feeling of unease would dissipate a bit in Kaguumb's presence, it was nothing compared to the feeling of relief she felt at that moment, leaning against Harry.

Harry did not give it much thought when he felt Mina lean against him. Instinctively he wrapped an arm around his _ketsuguis-shisor_.

"Did you make them pay?' Ginny suddenly asked as she pushed a plate of fruit and cold meats toward Hermione.

The red-haired witch had noticed how little her older blood-sister had eaten in the past few days and worried about the brunette's health. She and Luna tried to ensure that the older girl had something to eat - even if it was not much.

The Northern Lord just grinned as his emerald orbs flickered to his Mate, who for a brief moment locked gaze with the Gryffindor teen. Severus' brow arched in question before his dark eyes flickered toward Hermione. Harry saw a flick of concern and relief race through his Intended's obsidian orbs. A slight frown marred the half demon's face. It did not escape his notice at how his _shisorn _were pushing food onto his _an'sor_, making him wonder if he had made a mistake in leaving his Pack as he knew that Hermione would lose her appetite when stressed out.

Suddenly their little corner of the table echoed with a yelp as the raven-haired Gryffindor jumped a little and looked down, affronted that Mina had the nerve to tickle him on his side.

"You did what you had to!" Mina hissed in warning.

"Then why are Luna and Gin' pushing food onto your plate, and why is," Harry then leaned in closer and gently whispered into her ear so that only she would hear him, "Severus relieved that you are also eating?"

Hermione blushed at the light scolding.

"Okay, I was worried, and I couldn't eat properly, especially when I worry, you know that, but you, Mister," She immediately poked her blood-brother's chest, "better not start feeling guilty for doing something right! I will always worry about you! Rather you like it or not!'

Harry raised his hands in the universal sign of surrender while his Pack laughed at the pair.

"Okay! Okay! I give! Just stop that! And eat!"

Mina let out a quiet huff but went on to eating the stacks of fruits and cold meats that Luna and Gin' were giving her.

"What the bloody hell is Loony Luna doing here?" A disturbingly familiar voice echoed throughout the Great Hall, "And! You! Get away from my girlfriend!"

The Great Hall was not overly noisy nor was it utterly quiet; however, at the moment Ron began shouting, the entire Hall fell silent and watched the drama unfold with rapt focus as if it was a play or a soap opera.

Harry looked over his shoulder and glared at the freckled face teen.

"Wherever Luna chooses to sit is her decision as is whomever Hermione chooses to be around is her decision, Weasley." The Northern Lord slowly replied, a low growl hidden beneath his words, "Besides… since when have you been Mina's boyfriend?"

The redhead flushed even brighter.

"She's always been mine! You can't have her!"

SLAP!

"Yes!"

"You go, girl!"

Luna and Ginny both cheered as they watched their blood-sister slap Ron across his face while Harry and Neville looked on with smug satisfaction.

"I don't belong to you, you chauvinistic pig!" Hermione bellowed as her body trembled in a mix of fear and anger.

For far too long, the red-haired lion had made statements of possession of the brunette muggleborn witch in either the form of blatant statements or just simple mannerism. In the beginning, especially after second year, Hermione did not understand the young man's behavior, thinking that Ron was just immature as most young boys were. However, as the years progressed, the Gryffindor witch noticed more and more of the redhead's possessive nature. She truly did not know what to make of it.

Her father was never possessive; perhaps a bit overprotective but never possessive. Harry was definitely never possessive of her or of Ginny, and none of her uncles and male Muggle friends from primary school were possessive.

Hermione could not explain it, and it scared her. It scared her as much as her Nightmare that still haunts her. But no more! She was tired of being scared. She was not going to let the redhead's confusing behavior scare her into submission. It was as Harry and Sirius had said… She was a strong person! She will confront her housemate and let him have a piece of her mind.

The young witch opened her mouth once more for a lecture when her hazel-brown eyes grew wide as she saw the red-haired wizard raise his hand to strike her. Suddenly her vision became blocked by the sight of her blood-brother's strong back, and her ears were deafened by screams from all around. She looked around to see if she could find the cause of the chaos; however, she only found her pack mates with their wands at the ready. Cautiously she peered around Harry's frame and blinked owlishly at the sight she was seeing.

Harry stood still as a statue. The tip of the black-stained Sword of Gryffindor pressed against the pallid flesh of his former friend. The stench of fear wafted off of the lanky youth's flesh in waves while his pupils were dilated to the point where no color was visible.

"I warned you, Ronald, about raising your hand against a woman." Harry calmly stated, applying a little more pressure to the blade's tip and drawing blood.

"MR. POTTER!" The Headmaster's voice echoed thunderously throughout the Great Hall.

Harry did not waver his focus from the mangy lion in front of him

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

"_Obsidio. Propulso_." The Northern Lord immediately and calmly countered, stopping the Headmaster's magic with the flat side of Gryffindor's Sword and batting the spell back to the castor.

Ancient eyes grew wide in surprise as he felt his own spell disarm him.

Silence befell the Great Hall.

All eyes stared dumbly at the Headmaster, who was a deathly shade of white.

Dumbledor just stared at his wand, which laid several feet away from him.

A black brow arched, waiting for the ancient wizard to pick up his wand.

Suddenly and yet as if time had slowed down, a hand picked up the wand, and twin pools of obsidian-darkness stared into twin pits of Killing Curse green fire.

"Care to explain." Severus demanded, still holding onto the Headmaster's wand.

The teen then just simply shrugged.

"I just reacted." The Gryffindor stated nonchalantly.

"Reacted?" The Potions Master replied in disbelief.

"That is not what Professor Snape wanted to know!" McGonagall suddenly hissed, leveling her wand on the sword-wielding teen.

"It's not?" Harry rebutted then sheathed the sword.

Severus rolled his eyes at his Brat's cheek. In all truth, the Slytherin was surprised to see the younger wizard carrying Gryffindor's Sword, but he was not _really_ surprised by it. After all, Evie had proclaimed the teen as 'Master Gryffindor', naming the brat as the Heir to all of Gryffindor's possessions. By wizardry law, Harry was well within his right to possess and carry the famed sword. The dark wizard just did not think that the young man actually would be carrying the blade.

The old hag was about to let loose another string of irate ranting when the Great Hall echoed with the pitter-patter of small feet.

"MASTER GRYFFINDOR!" A child's voice thundered enthusiastically.

Instantly Harry found himself with an arm full of a hyper-active castle-child.

"Hello Lady Hogwarts, did you miss me?" The half demon smiled. He noticed several of the Slytherins trying to catch their breaths as if they had been running after the she-castle.

"Yes!" Lady Hogwarts replied as she gave her Master a big hug.

"Mr. Potter…" Dumbledor's voice finally broke through the chaotic din, causing the younger Mage to coolly look at the ancient and withered wizard, "you have no right to be carrying that sword."

"LIAR!" Lady Hogwarts immediately shouted, "It too is Master's Sword!"

"Outrageous!" The Head of Gryffindor House exclaimed then looked toward the Headmaster, "Albus, do something! The boy shouldn't be allowed to carry such a valuable artifact!"

Dumbledor, however, was quiet as he thought over the homunculus' words. Ever since the little creature came to being, it had continuously referred to the troublesome waif as 'Master Gryffindor'. At first, he had not really thought much of it because it was common knowledge that Gryffindor's bloodline had died out, but now… now, the fact that the urchin was wielding the famed sword made the ancient wizard wonder if there was more to the title that the thing had given his weapon. The Headmaster had thought he knew everything there was to know about his pawn, but it would appear that he did not. And he did not like it. He would have to do some research, but first, he would have to separate the orphan from the sword.

"Harry," Dumbledor began in his grandfatherly tone, which did nothing but raise Harry's hackles, "I think it's best that I hold onto the sword and perhaps I can even get it cleaned up for you."

Harry arched a brow as he stared at the old man. His expression spoke volume of what he thought of Headmaster's idea.

"The blade is in better hands, Headmaster." The Northern Lord replied then leveled a dark glower on the red-haired wizard, "You've been warned, Ronald. Raise a hand again against any of my sisters, and I will seek blood."

The mangy lion's freckles stood boldly against the sudden pallid complexion at the half demon's warning.

The raven-haired teen turned around and began to walk away. He ignored the Transfiguration Professor's demands for him to stop. Harry and his Pack disappeared from view.

"Albus! Are you just going to stand there? Potter is now armed! His entire behavior is questionable! You cannot continue to turn a blind eye! Do something!"

"Enough!" Dumbledor snapped, effectively silencing his faithful deputy.

The ancient mage ignored the chattering of the students as they had witnessed the events unfold. His cold eyes stared at his slave, who kept his eyes lowered while still holding onto the Headmaster's wand. Dumbledor looked at his wand warily before taking it from his servant.

Instantly, he felt the magik of the wand course through him but… it was not the same… It never would be the same again, and he knew this. Absolute fury colored his face as he stormed out of the Great Hall, unaware of a pair of knowing eyes watching everything from the shadows.

_What will you do next?_

* * *

Cautiously a young Slytherin walked through the darken corridors. He had been told by his older brother to never walk the corridors alone and more specifically never alone at night. But he knew that he could help his brother and his brother's friends.

For the last couple of days, the young Slytherin's brother and his friends had been trying to talk to a certain group of Gryffindors and a Ravenclaw; however, each time they thought they had a chance, something would interfere. The First year Slytherin suspected that it was intentional - the near misses. He suspected that the other group was being protected while the group's leader was away. Of course, he did not have any proof, and he did talk to Evie about his suspicions, but the she-castle did not tell him anything that he did not already suspected. _Shadows will remain untouched until Master comes back._

Dominick thought it was strange that Evie would call the group 'Shadows' until he watched them. There was a thin barrier around the group, which pretty much made the other student population ignore them unless the other students posed no threat to them, and sadly it looked like that the majority of the student population were a threat in one form or another to the small group. They became living Shadows. And of course, it ended when their leader, Harry Potter, had returned. It was then that Dominick knew that he could help his brother.

The young boy looked both ways of the corridor checking for Mrs. Norris or worse other students, before going down the hallway. The small Slytherin knew it was dangerous to head toward Gryffindor Tower, but he did not know where else to begin his search. It made sense to him to first try the Tower because Harry Potter was after all a Gryffindor.

Making another turn down another passageway, Dominick instinctively froze when he heard voices, speaking in a strange and yet enchanting language. The First year quickly ducked into an empty room and waited for the voices to walk by. It felt like it took forever before the petite student felt comfortable enough to leave his hiding spot. Slowly he popped his head out and found the corridor was empty once more. He stepped out of the room when suddenly…

"Mreow…"

For a second time, Dominick froze as he looked around for the mangy grey-tabby, Mrs. Norris, but he could not find her. He really did not want to be caught by Mr. Flinch and his mean cat. His mercury-blue eyes looked owlishly into the darken hallway when he spotted a pair of ruby-red eyes staring at him. Startled, the little Slytherin took a step back while at the same time, the eyes came closer. He immediately stopped his retreat when he saw who had found him. It was Harry's friend, the one everyone thought was a cat.

"Eh… hi!" Dominick shyly waved, "I'm looking for Mr. Potter. Do you know where I can find him, sir?"

"That's a first time a youngling has ever called me that." A bemused voice chuckled from behind the young boy, causing the child to snap around and openly stared in awe at the wizard in front of him. "It's really weird… I'm just Ha-ree."

"Uhm… hi!" The Slytherin greeted while he was surprised by the slight accent.

"So young one, you wanted to see me?" The dark haired teen asked.

"Wow! You're really look like Inu-Yasha!" The little boy excitedly exclaimed.

A brow arched.

"In-u-ya-sha?"

"Yeah! It's a really awesome show!" Dominick began, "My best friend's older sister always watches it! Inu-Yasha is the hero! He has doggy ears like you do and this really cool sword too! At first, the sword doesn't look like much, but it transform into a really big, cool sword. Does your sword transform too?"

"You can see me?" The half demon's voice was flat, which scared the First year.

"Eh… Yes'sir." The little one stuttered.

The Gryffindor knelt down and looked at the young Slytherin in the eye.

"You don't have a Third Eye."

Mercury-blue eyes blinked as he shook his head 'no'.

"There's something about you…" The older wizard trailed off, "Something… my blood… my blood tells me that you should be respected and feared…"

"_**What?**_" Dominick exclaimed, shocked that anyone would fear _him_, a 11 year old boy.

||:Siri, do you understand why I feel this way?:|| Harry asked his blood-brother, who shifted back to his true form but never wavering his eyes from the youngling.

||:This one is a Holy Child.:|| Sirius replied, which caused Dominick to stare at the Fire-Ice hybrid in wonder, ||:I have heard stories of such humans… they were blessed with the ability to see our true form and if need be destroy us.:||

||:Really?:|| The Northern Lord exclaimed in surprise, not believing that the little boy could even hurt a fly let alone a demon.

||:Yes, according to legend, with a mere touch these Holy Children could destroy us, but when we separated from the human world, they became hunted. Ironically they were called demons by the other humans. A few Holy Children were able to cross over into our world but not many. It was believed that they died out.:||

"Wow!" Dominick chirped as he looked back and forth between the two demons as they spoke.

"Siri tells me that you're a very special young man." Harry said, "He says that you're a Holy Child. Do you know what that means?"

The little Slytherin blinked before his eyes grew wide in understanding.

"I'm a Shaman." The little one whispered in breathy tone.

"A shaman?" The dog demon asked.

The First year nodded his head.

"Well then, little Shaman, you came looking for me… even now knowing what I truly look like."

"I won't told anyone! Scout's honor!" Dominick quickly replied while holding his hand up with three fingers up.

"I believe you, but I'm curious as to why you're looking for me… Dominick."

"How-how do you know my name?"

"I heard about what happened to you from Professor Snape, and I've offered to protect you. Didn't Professor Snape tell you?"

"Unc- I mean, Professor Snape said that you would take me in!"

Harry arched a brow, hearing the near slip up but decided not to ask about it.

"Is that why you're looking for me? You need me to protect you?"

"It's not me!" Dominick quickly replied, "It's my brother!"

Emerald green orbs blinked.

"Your brother? I didn't know your brother came to Hogwarts as well. If you both need protection, I'll give it to you both."

The little Slytherin began nibbling his lower lip.

"He's my half-brother."

"It doesn't matter."

The First year became even more nervous, which made the older wizard pause.

"Who is your brother?" The Gryffindor quietly asked.

The half dog demon then took a good look at the little Slytherin. He looked at the little boy's mercury-blue orbs and slight upturned nose. The more that Harry looked at the First year, the more he saw his former rival in the child. His eyes grew wide as the realization hit him.

"Malfoy."

"Please! Don't tell anyone! Nobody knows!" Dominick beseeched, surprising the Gryffindor wizard.

"DOMINICK!"

Harry immediately shot to his feet, placing himself between the new voice and the little Slytherin. His body was taunt while his hand rested on the hilt of his sword.

Millicent Bulstrode skidded to a halt when she saw the Golden Boy reach to his side. Her eyes were wide as they darted from the little Slytherin to the Gryffindor. Her hand twitched for her wand, but she feared that any sudden movement would put the First year in danger.

Harry dropped his hand to his side but remained alert.

"Millie!" Dominick called out from behind the older wizard.

"Potter." The witch tightly greeted.

"Bulstrode." The Gryffindor replied then turned back to the younger Slytherin, "I meant what I said. It doesn't matter."

The Shaman's face lit up in a happy and yet relieved smile.

"Thank you!"

Harry nodded as he walked pass Millicent and whispered before disappearing into the shadows.

"I'll speak with your Alpha."

Millicent snapped around to confront the Gryffindor Golden Boy, but he nor his cat were nowhere to be seen. The buxom Slytherin turned to the wayward First year, who was just looking into the black hallway in awe. She quickly grabbed the smaller Slytherin's hand and hurried back to her worried friends.

When she and the others had realized that Dominick was missing, they all became frantic.

It was dangerous for a Slytherin to be out alone at night, especially for a First year, because the other Houses would not hesitate in attacking anyone from the House of Snake. But for Dominick, it was especially dangerous since the caramel-colored boy could be - and had been - attacked by members of his own house. And ever since the night of the earthquake, the little boy had been ostracized from the House of Snake and without the protection of the House, Dominick was vulnerable to attacks from the other Houses.

Ignoring the curious and a few smug looks from those within the Slytherin common room, Millie quickly found her friends as they had gathered near the fire place, having just returned from their own search of their missing little serpent brother.

"Draco!" She called out, "Room! Now!"

Then she proceeded to the Slytherin Head Boy's room with Dominick in tow. The other Slytherin students just watched while they speculated as to what the First year had done to earn a private audience with the Ice Prince and his court. Slowly one by one, Blaise, Greg and Vincent rose and followed the hurried pair into Draco's room. Once they had gone, Draco too rose and began to follow but immediately stopped when he felt something latch onto his arm. He glared down at the pug-faced witch, who had the gall to attempt to look 'sweetly' at him. But in reality, it was taking every ounce of his pureblood upbringing not to vomit on her right there and then.

"What are you doing, Parkinson?" Draco coolly asked.

"Dakey-poo, don't be so coy!" The witch's shrilly voice let loose a high pitch laugh that could probably shatter ear drums if she had continued, "I'm going with you, of course."

"Not bloody likely." The pale blonde muttered and pulled his arm free from the girl's clutches.

Pansy crossed her arms and tried to pout, but it turned into a grotesque snarl.

"Dakey, I know you're going to court to punish that Savage! I demand to be there! It's my right! As your betrothed!" The painfully thin girl then stomped her foot in a tantrum worthy of a two-year old.

"Silence!" The Lord Malfoy ordered, effectively silencing not only the annoying witch but the entire common room.

"Listen and listen well, you ugly hag, you are not my betrothed. I don't know where you got that disgusting notion in that pea-sized brain of your's, but it is never going to happen. I'd rather become a monk than have you as a wife. And as for the _Savage_, he is none of _your_ concern. _I_ am the Head Boy, and _I _will deal with him as _I _see fit!" The Ice Prince stated and immediately left the common room for his own room. And as the blonde teen entered his room, he heard the harpy's shrill as she demanded that he apologize.

Draco took extreme pleasure of slamming the door on the pug-faced witch's face.

"About bloody time you did something about that she-leech." Vincent grumbled.

Silvery-blue orbs just rolled upward before turning to Millie.

"He wants to talk to you!" She blurted out before the blonde could ask his question, causing her three friends to blink owlishly.

"What?" Draco asked, "Who wants to talk to me?"

"Potter!"

Silence fell over the group.

"Potter? He wants to talk to me? Why?" The Slytherin asked as his mind tried to come up with any possible reason.

Even though it was only the beginning of the school year, the Gryffindor and he had not quarreled and were in fact quite civil to one another whenever their paths crossed.

"Isn't that what you wanted, Drake?" Dominick asked from his seat on Draco's bed.

"What?"

"Well, you _were_ trying to talk to him through his friends but couldn't because they were protected since he was gone."

"Protected? What do you mean protected? And where did he go?" Blaise asked when the blonde was quiet.

Dominick just shrugged.

"Dunno… I just know."

"Dominick, honey, we had plan." Millicent interjected, trying to explain to the little boy their methods, their ways, of forming alliances.

"Don't, Millie. Leave it alone." Draco replied then looked at his half-brother, "You told him?"

"He guessed, but he won't tell!" The little one quickly defended his newest hero.

The blonde was quiet for a moment.

"How did he react to the information?"

Mercury-blue gems blinked then the youngest Slytherin just shrugged once more.

"Surprised, I guess."

"When I found him, Potter was protective of Dom… even had his hand on that sword of his!" The Slytherin witch chimed in, "Waitaminute? He knows that you and Draco are brothers, and he still protected you?"

"Well yeah, why shouldn't he?" The simplicity and innocence of the question made the group pause.

The older Slytherins looked at each other, but none of them could answer the youngest wizard.

"Waitaminute!" Blaise interjected once more, "As much as I am surprised that Potter knows about you two, I am more concerned about this whole 'protected' thing. Because frankly, I didn't see Potter around to protect his friends."

"Just because we didn't see Potter, it didn't mean that he wasn't there." Vincent replied, "I tried to get near Lovegood, but every time I tried, it was like she wasn't there."

"I had the same problem." Greg stated, "One moment Longbottom was there and the next he was gone.

"How's that possible? And not having the Headmaster react to it?" Millie asked as she too noticed how Potter's friends were invisible, "Do you think they used a Notice-Me-Not Charm?"

"For almost a week?" Blaise questioned.

"It was Harry." Dominick answered, "The shadows listened to him. They protected his friends because they didn't know if you were threat to them."

"The shadows?" Greg frowned, "Dominick, no one can control something in tangible like shadows."

"Harry can." The First year asserted.

"Oh sweetie! Don't believe that silly hype that Potter is a God among wizards." The buxom witch cooed.

"I'm not!" Dominick whined then looked at his older brother, "Drake!"

"Leave him alone." Draco quietly ordered, causing the others to look at the blonde curiously, "Just know that Dom sees and know things that we don't know nor hope to understand and leave it at that."

"Just like that?" Blaise challenged.

"Yeah, just like that." The Ice Prince replied then knelt down before his little brother, "Dom, you certain about him?"

"Yep!" The little boy chirped, "He's like a real-life Inu-Yasha! It's so cool!"

"What?" Blaise asked, but Draco did not answer.

The blonde knew exactly who his little brother was talking about. However, the older Slytherin was curious as to why his brother would compare Potter to a fictional character.

"Okay." Draco stood up, brushing the dirt from his pants, "I'll go look for Potter and talk to him."

"What? Now?" Millicent gasped.

"If not now then when?" The blonde asked then said as he walked out of his room, "Let Professor Snape know what's going on."

Translations:

_ot'frat_ (youma-lingua) - younger brother

_ketsuguis-shisor_ (youma-lingua) - blood-sister

_Shisorn _(youma-lingua) - sisters

_an'sor_ (youma-lingua) - older sister

_Obsidio. Propulso. _(Latin) - Block. Repel.


	51. Chapter 51

_**Author's disclaimer: The song title, **__**The Unforgiven**__**, belongs to the band, Metallica.**_

**Chapter 48: **_**The Accord**_

_Damn it! Potter! Where the bloody hell are you?_ Draco mentally snapped as he stormed down another corridor.

The blonde had used his position as Head Boy to walk freely throughout the castle in search for the allusive raven-haired teen. At first, he had tried to find the Gryffindor in the Lion's den but was told by a First year that the raven-haired teen was not in the Tower. In fact, when requesting to leave a message with one of the wizard's friends, the First year told the blonde that none of them were in the dorms, which made the blonde curious as to where the group could be, especially with it being so close to curfew. Draco tried the Astronomy Tower, where he found a third year Ravenclaw and a fifth year Hufflepuff getting extremely friendly with one another, and the Library, where he found a few Gryffindors but not the one he was looking for. The Slytherin then tried the Quidditch Pitch, after checking the former Groundskeeper's hut, which was still dark, thinking that the other wizard would be practicing, but the Gryffindor Team out practicing had told him that the Seeker had resigned his position, which both surprised and annoyed the blonde. He was surprised because he had thought that Potter would return to the games once the pink she-toad's old rulings had been null and voided, and he was annoyed because he did not know where else he could find the allusive Gryffindor. He had even tried the kitchen but had to escape as one of the House Elves - in fact, one of his old House Elves - nearly attacked him with a bombardment of crème puff pastries when he had asked about Potter. _What a waste of crème puffs._

The blonde pulled out his pocket watch, a gift given to him for his 12th birthday from his Godfather. Checking the time, his frown deepened as he realized that it was almost 11 o'clock, almost time for his own curfew. The corridor echoed with the snap of the silver watch closing.

"Dammit, Potter!" Draco muttered, "Why can't you for once just follow that stupid persona of the Golden Boy?"

"And where would the fun be in that?" A bemused voice chuckled, causing the blonde to snap around with his wand tip aglow.

The light from the hawthorn wand created shadows that danced across the raven-haired wizard's face. The Gryffindor's emerald green orbs sparkled against the dark. The contrast between light and shadow gave the teen's smirk a feral quality.

"Do you have a death wish, Potter?" The blonde harshly hissed as he slowly lowered his wand and looked at his rival.

The other teen just shrugged and leaned back, placing his weight on his left foot with his right foot crossed in the front, and he clasped his hands together behind his head. The Gryffindor's entire posture left the teen's torso exposed, but something told the blonde that Potter was not as vulnerable as he appeared to be. A red glint caught Draco's eye, causing the blonde to flicker toward the heavily ornate sword before returning to the raven-haired teen's green gems.

"Well?"

Harry lowered his arms and straightened his posture. He began walking down an empty hallway to an equally empty classroom. The Gryffindor teen held the door open and waited.

Draco looked around him, knowing that there was no one else in the area and quietly followed the other teen into the classroom.

The classroom was another deserted classroom that seemed to riddle the castle. At one point in time, this room was filled with students, learning one subject or another, but now it was left in disarray and in disuse. The instructor's desk still had an inkwell with a quill resting on the corner, and a couple of dust covered scrolls laid on the other end of the desk. The room was also filled with several rows of desks and chairs. All of which were dust covered. Along the wall was a low-leveled book casing, filled with tomes. _Gotta check those out later._ The blonde mentally thought.

SHRWINK

The Slytherin paused as he heard the sword being unsheathed. Silvery-blue orbs gleaned over his shoulder, watching the other teen.

Harry unsheathed his blade-wand, creating a wide arch around his body before bringing Gryffindor's Sword over his head, bringing the blade before him. His left hand rested against the flat of the blade.

"_Detergo pulvis_."

The room was filled with wild magik as the thick layer of dust disappeared.

Draco stared at his Gryffindor rival with wide eyes and a slack-jaw.

The raven-haired teen then sheathed his blade-wand and perched himself on the abandoned instructor's desk. Picking up one of the scrolls, Harry broke the red wax seal and curiously read the old parchment, waiting for the Slytherin to gathered his wits.

"What the bloody hell?" The blonde finally exclaimed, just as Harry realized that he was reading someone's homework assignment on Wizarding Politics from nearly 90 years ago.

"Hm?" The raven-haired teen muttered, lowering the scroll to his lap.

"What the bloody hell did you do?"

"Cleaned up the dust… it looks like this room hasn't been used for a very long time." Harry replied nonchalantly.

"Cleaned? You used wandless magik!"

"No, I didn't."

"You didn't? I didn't see you pull out a wand!"

Harry then patted his blade, sheathed at his side.

"I did too."

"Hunh?" Draco blinked as he looked at the heavily ornate sword, "That's a wand?"

"Yes, but you weren't looking for me about this." The Gryffindor reminded the blonde, who shook his head.

"Eh… yeah… yes, you're right." The Slytherin muttered then squared his shoulders and looked into the emerald green orbs.

"I am in need of your help."

"My help?" Harry blinked then frowned, "Does this has anything to do with Tom?"

"Tom? Tom who?" The blonde blinked in confusion.

Tha raven-haired teen looked thoughtfully at his school rival. Then he raised his hand and wrote in the air a name… 'Tom Marvolo Riddle'. Ignoring the blonde's bulging eyes, Harry then gave the burning name a dismissive wave and slowly the letters re-arranged themselves to read, 'I am Lord Voldemort'.

"No fucking way!" Draco whispered in shock.

There always was a mystery surrounding the origins of the Dark Wizard - even as early as the First War, which left many speculating and many fearing the unknown. No one, not even those in the Inner Circle, knew the mad-man's true name. And seeing the Dark Lord's full name for the first time, Draco oddly enough discovered that his fear of the madman had lessen - if only by a little bit.

"You didn't answer my question." The Gryffindor stated, causing twin pools of silvery-blue liquid to snap back to the peering emerald green gems.

"Yeah…" The Slytherin licked his lips, "It has to do with the Dar- I mean, Tom…"

The blonde had decided then and there, that in order for him and his friends to be truly free from that madman's control, he would call the dark wizard by his true name, and finding a strange sense of confidence and strength in saying it as well. It was as if by saying the madman's true name, Draco was able to chip away at the dark wizard's power over him.

"So I take it that Malfoy Senior is pressuring you to take the Mark?"

The Head-Boy was quiet while his lips drew together in a thin line before answering.

"Among others."

A dark brow arched at the cryptic statement.

"Your mother among others?"

"**NO!** Never!" Draco adamantly denied, surprising the raven-haired wizard, "My mother would rather be stripped of her magik than see me groveling at that madman's feet!"

"S'rry."

"For what?"

"Assuming that your mother was of like mind as Malfoy Senior." Harry sincerely replied.

"Apology… accepted." The blonde awkwardly whispered while he continued to observe the other teen.

"Lestrange then." The Gryffindor correctly guessed.

"What does it matter? I don't want the Dark Mark nor do I want to serve the Headmaster."

The raven-haired teen shrugged.

"It doesn't really since I already agreed to do it. It -"

"Agreed to do what?" Draco interrupted although he suspected he knew what the other wizard meant. He just wanted to hear it with his own ears.

"To protect you and yours." Harry stated as a matter-of-fact.

The Slytherin took a deep breath and slowly released it.

"So you do know… I mean about Dominick and I…"

"Yeah, and I can guess that there is an interesting story behind it, but I'm not going to press." Harry admitted to which the blonde nodded his head in gratitude. "Besides… since it's Lestrange that's forcing you, it gives me more reasons to want to put an end to them… especially that _maj'ga_." The Gryffindor growled, causing Draco to shiver at the feral sight.

"Do we have an Accord?" The Slytherin quickly asked, holding his hand out.

Without a second thought, the raven-haired clasped onto the blonde's upper arm, causing the Slytherin to do the same.

"The Pack of Shadows has an Accord with the Wing of Emerald Dragons." The Northern Lord swore.

Silvery-blue orbs grew wide as saucers when he felt the dark and yet wild magik wrapping itself around him and filling the abandoned classroom. He knew only of two wizards, who have the ability to expand their magik to be felt by others - the Headmaster and Tom Riddle.

Slowly the Gryffindor released his hold and began to walk away when he suddenly stopped and turned around.

"Here. Catch." Harry called as he tossed a small dark bag toward the blonde.

Draco's Seeker reflexes kicked in as he easily caught the bag in the mid-air.

"What is it?" The blonde asked while opening the bag and spilling its contains into his palm.

A blonde brow arched when the Slytherin noticed several golden charms and on the charms were etching of a stylized Celt Dog Knot. Draco had seen similar etchings being worn by a small number of Gryffindors but more specifically by the dark-haired wizard's closest friends.

"In case, you or yours are in trouble and need me." Harry stated, "It has a duress word keyed to it."

"Duress words?"

"Yeah, something you say when you're in trouble but don't want to alert those around you… usually it's a word not used in everyday conversation but not too unusually that it'll draw suspicion."

"Hunh… interesting." The blonde muttered then asked, "And what's this duress word?"

"_Unforgiven_."

Another brow arched in surprise at the word.

"The song from Metallica?"

It was the Gryffindor's turn to be surprised.

"You surprise me, Malfoy."

"And how's that?"

"An aristocratic pureblood, such as yourself, would know a song from a heavy band… a Muggle heavy band."

"There's a lot about me you don't know, Potter."

"I suppose you're right on that."

Draco snorted as he returned the charms back into the small bag and looked up to realize that he was alone in the classroom. Holding the bag close to his chest, the Slytherin slipped back out into the corridor, feeling the dark shadows envelop him in a welcoming embrace as if providing him protection from unseen eyes.

_There is a third option!_

Translations:

_Detergo pelvis_ (Latin) - Clean the dust

_maj'ga_ (youma-lingua) - witch; offensive term for a female

_**Stay tuned for the next chapters of Harry Potter and the Pack of Shadows coming June 1, 2013.**_


	52. Chapter 52

_**Previously on Harry Potter and the Pack of Shadows…**_

_**On his 16**__**th**__** birthday, Harry receives a time delayed letter from his father, telling him about an inheritance that no one could have ever expected. On his 16**__**th**__** birthday, Harry received a demonic heritage from a Blood Adoption that had saved him from death as babe and on that fateful Halloween night.**_

_**Harry had succeed in protecting his people from a purist extremist invasion, and in the aftermath of that battle, he found a father-figure that had been denied to him by the schemes of madmen. Now back in the human World, he has set in motion not only his desire to court his Dark Wizard, but also he had begun to pave the way to free the Wizarding World from the clutches of two madmen, who desire to either destroy him or control him.**_

_**Will he succeed in freeing the Wizarding World or will he fail at the hands of another enemy that he did not foresee?**_

_**Chapter 49: A Future Decided**_

Harry leaned back in his seat. It was his first day back from his suspension, and he was currently waiting for Professor Binns to make his ghostly appearance and to begin his lectures.

It had been a trying couple of days since he came back from _Ma-Terrarum_ until he was able to resume his classes. After the situation in the Great Hall, McGonagall had called the teen into her office nearly every other day in order to interrogate him on where he had been during the five days that had passed in the human realm. The young demon Lord felt no need to explain himself to the old crone that he had actually been gone for a little over three months… that was neither here nor there… And of course, Harry knew that the ancient hag's interrogation really was on behest of Dumbledor, which the Mageling had thought was odd. The raven-haired teen knew that the old man preferred to perform his own interrogation, using his own methods.

The young wizard just shook his head, freeing himself of his thoughts on the decrepit Headmaster and turn his thoughts onto his education and future.

While in the demon realm, recovering from his injuries, the young Gryffindor and his General had spoken often on what the younger demon had wanted to do with his life. Sather had commented that just because the half-demon was a Lord, it did not mean that the young Mageling should just settle with it. The pair had stayed up well into the evening nearly every night as they talked about what the Shadow Hound wanted for himself.

Harry had quietly confessed to the older demon one night that before learning that he was a wizard, Harry had only thought of surviving until he could legally leave the Dursley and that he had thought about being either a gardener or a cook since those were the only chores he had truly enjoyed doing. But then he came into the Wizarding World… and his future had already been dictated for him…

According to the Wizarding World, he would graduate from Hogwarts, join the Auror Program and become an Auror like his father, defeat ol' Tommy boy, marry a lovely witch, who was probably a redhead just like his mother, and then have the proverbial two point three children…

For a time, Harry had also confessed that he would have accepted that path already laid out for him; however, with the death of his godfather and the damned prophecy looming over his head, Harry really had to force himself to open his eyes and look at the events in his life from a different perspective… and then something amazing happened, he discovered his demonic heritage!

The young Mage saw this as a golden opportunity to finally be himself! To finally to be free!

The young wizard knew that when he put an end to Riddle, he could not really remain in the Wizarding World if he wanted to be free… The Wizarding World would expect him to solve each and every one of their problems, only to turn around and blame him when he could not. And if it was not the public of the Wizarding World out to control him, then it would be the Ministry. The Ministry would either try to control him for their own gain, or they would declare him as the next Dark Lord, locking him up in Azkaban or outright killing him… And heavens only knew what Dumbledor had plan for him when Riddle was defeated and destroyed.

No… none of those prospects would have been conducive to Harry living a happily-ever-after. And of course, the raven-haired wizard also knew that going to the Muggle World after graduation was not an option either. He had no formal education, which would not helped him in getting a steady job, nor did he have any paper trail to speak of to even verify that he existed… But being a demon… now that opened a whole new world, figuratively and literally, for him to explore and grow… An entire world that did not expect him to save them from every evil that came their way. A new chance to gain an education and find himself.

So, while he had rested and recovered from the torture he had suffered at the Keep, he and Sather talked and decided that the young Shadow Hound would study under the Mage Masters of _Ma-Terrarum_ for his magik studies, and Harry would also continue his _nin-nus_ studies, both magical and Muggle. When Sather had suggested that Harry should continue his Muggle education, he was a bit confused. Sather then pointed out one of the reasons why _he _believed that the _nin-nus_ mages were so weak and stagnate was because they did not expand their knowledge. (The Blood Hound had promised to tell his young Lord how he came to his opinion at a later time upon seeing the question on the dark-haired youth's face.)The _nin-nus_ mages just accepted the knowledge given to them by those in power, accepting the word of those like Dumbledor and the Ministry as the truth.

Harry honestly could see and understand his General's point.

After all, he was witnessing, even living, the truth that the Blood Hound was talking about. With all the misadventures that Harry had endured since coming into the Wizarding World, the student population and the entire magical community still turned to the ancient Headmaster for advice… Hell, the young man knew that if anything like what he had experienced happened in the Muggle World, the Headmaster would have been out of a job and brought on charges faster than one could say '_Avada Kedavra_'.

One day after a talk with Sather, Harry found himself just staring at nothing but a history book in his lap. The information was fascinating to the young Mageling, and it did give him a startling revelation about himself…

Harry knew absolutely nothing of the Wizarding World's history nor of its customs and practices, and without that knowledge, he felt that he was always floundering to catch up, to understand. True, he was so very grateful that he had Mina to help him out, but he knew that he could not always depend on her. She would not be by his side forever. He would need to know and understand for himself the world around. The young half-demon then decided that he would just _learn_, try to see what made the Wizarding World the way it was and not rely on the gibberish that Professor Binns - whenever the spirit did not speak about the Goblin Rebellions - and others spewed out, and the Mageling was also curious about the Muggles.

If he was going to start from the beginning of the Wizarding World, he might as well also learn about the Muggles. The two communities had lived together at one time without issue, which oddly lead him to wanting to know what the world had been like when demons, wizards and Muggles had also lived together. A small smile formed on Harry's face when he realized that he wanted to truly learn about history and not just for the sake of passing the course. He truly and honestly wanted to _know_. And when the Lord and the General next spoke, Harry told Sather of his decision to study history of all three worlds- the demons, the _nin-nus_ mages and the regular _nin-nus_ - the Blood Hound beamed in pride at his Lord's curiosity and maturity.

The ancient warrior had lived a very long time and had seen many lords and ladies come and go. He had observed that the lords and ladies, who reigned and prospered for many Marks, were the ones with the keen understanding of history and the effects of past actions had on the present, while the lords and ladies, who reigned for a short and strife filled time, had no interested in such matters. Plus, with the young Shadow Hound's interest in studying his people's history, the old General did not have to worrying about the half-demon becoming lazy like so many nobles have been known to do…

When Harry had returned to Hogwarts after his recovery, he had told his Pack of his plans to study history, which understandably surprised his Pack, but they gave him their support. And Mina, dear Mina, was ecstatic with Harry's decision that she immediately wrote a letter to her father - an amateur historian himself - for recommended books for her _ot'frat_ to start reading. Harry had felt extremely relieved that his Pack was supportive of him that he had ventured out to his Head of House in order to get his class schedule revised.

The young demon should have known that his decision to study history would not be well received by Dumbledor's Second-in-Command, especially since she and the teen had already been butting-heads in regards to his so-called disappearance during his suspension. The moment he had stepped into her office to discuss his class schedule, the old hag had waylaid him in attempts to take his _caduceus_ from him, believing that such an ancient and valuable artifact should not be in the hands of a irresponsible teen, who did not understand the value of such an artifact, nor should it been known to the public that such an artifact had resurfaced.

And the way she reacted to the sword's existence, Harry had wondered what Dumbledor had told the old witch on how the half-demon defeated the basilisk in his second year…

Fortunately for him, his _caduceus_ had some protective spells placed on it to prevent theft and to prevent anyone unworthy from laying claim on the famed blade. When the old crone could not forcibly take his _caduceus -_ after receiving a nasty shock, when she tried to summon the sword to her -, she resorted to blackmail… well at least, Harry assumed it was the witch's attempt at blackmail because she had threatened to take away his nomination for the Auror Program if he did not hand over the sword, and Harry's response…

He laughed. Not a small chuckle but a full on barking laughter, and the look on McGonagall's face made the young man laugh even harder, with tears streaming down his face. The Gryffindor witch became red with a mix of anger and embarrassment that one of her students would disrespect her in such manner and had mentally agreed with the Headmaster that perhaps it was time to truly train the unruly boy to kill He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. At least, in her opinion, the training would teach the boy a lesson of respecting his betters.

It had taken Harry a few moments to regain his composure, and when he did, he boldly and solemnly stared at his Head of House and told her that he did not care if she, or even if the Headmaster, pulled his nomination. He had already withdrawn his name from the Applicant Registry earlier that morning. He continued on to say that he was not going to let her, the Headmaster nor the Wizarding World dictate his life any longer. He then presented her with his list of classes that he wanted to take. He warned her that if she did not approve of his course selection then he would happily go over her head.

McGonagall, of course, bristled at the thought of being threatened by the impetuous boy, but she immediately smirked in stating that the Headmaster would never approve of the young wizard's course selection and that he would have to take the Auror Pre-Requirement courses since it was his destiny.

Harry gave the old crone a feral smile as he leaned in close and quietly explained that when he stated that he would go over her head, he had meant that he would go to the Board of Governors and the Press. While Harry may hate the Daily Prophet and the public's delusions of owning him, he, however, would not hesitate in using them for his own benefits. Before leaving the hag's office, he off-handedly asked how the public would react if it was let out that she was preventing the Boy-Who-Lived from studying what he wanted. While McGonagall was not as obvious as the Dursleys when it came to keeping certain appearances, the old hag too was concerned and worried about what the public thought of her. Especially since she was a witch with a certain amount of power that was unheard of in such a patriarchy backward society as theirs…

The next day, Harry got the classes he wanted.

The memory of that battle of wills still placed a feral grin on the half dog-demon's face whenever he thought back on it. Hermione and Neville had just looked over to their Alpha and broke into a fit of giggles. An emerald orb peered at his two packmates as soon as he heard them, but nothing was said between them to ruin the good mood. Harry lightly smiled and was about to close his eyes again when he noticed his classmates straightened their posture and began writing.

Curious, Harry sat up and expanded his senses to find the source of his classmates unusual behavior. Neville and Hermione immediately felt the familiar tendrils of their Lead's magik encompass the classroom. They looked over at Harry, who took note at how his classmates - those who had not nodded off to sleep - were acting as if they were taking notes from a lecturer. The raven-haired teen curiously watched as a few would even look up toward the front of the classroom periodically before looking back down. He even noted a few of the Hufflepuff students not paying attention but looking around as if they had sensed something. He pushed it aside for the time being as he concentrated on the latest puzzle before him.

"Harry?" Mina whispered, knowing the demon's sensitive hearing would hear her.

"What is everyone doing?" The green-eyed wizard asked as he motioned with his head to the rest of the class.

"They're taking notes… on the 193rd Goblin Rebellion of 1623..." Neville replied with a frown, "Didn't we already have this lecture…? I'm sure we did…"

"From who?" Harry cautiously asked.

This caused the pair to blink before Hermione answered.

"Professor Binns… he just came through the door… Harry, are you alright?"

The half demon was quiet as he squinted his eyes, trying to see if he could spot the ghostly professor. But he saw nothing, and that unnerved him given what he was… without uttering a single word, the young Mage gathered his things into his satchel and left. He did not even have to look behind him to know if his packmates had followed. They just did, and no one tried to stop them.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped as she spotted her _ketsuguis-kyfra_ waiting for them, "What's going on? Why did we leave?"

"Not that I'm complaining." Neville mumbled.

"I didn't see him." The raven-haired teen answered.

"See who?"

"Binns… I didn't see him, which shouldn't be possible… he's dead… _**I **_should be able to see him." Harry racked his hand through his unruly hair.

"What do you mean that you should be able to see him?" Neville questioned.

"I'm a Shadow Hound." Harry sighed, "A Cwn Annwn of old lore… I can see, hear and even touch the dead…"

"You mean like a Necromancer?!" Hermione whispered in excitement.

"No… they deal with making prediction using spirits and/or with re-animation of a corpse, depending which sect they belong to…" Harry mumbled absently with a frown, "Binns is dead… I should be able to see him and he me… but I didn't, and he didn't… If he's not dead then what is he…?"

The half demon's mutterings worried his packmates, but they patiently waited until their Alpha had calmed down before asking him any more questions.

"C'mon…" The green-eyed youth murmured before heading down the corridor.

"Wait! Where are we going?!" Neville asked as he jogged after his Lead.

"To see if I can see the other ghosts of Hogwarts…"

* * *

Translations:

_Ma-Terrarum (youma-lingua) - _Demon Realm

_Nin-nus (youma-lingua) -_ human

_Ot'frat (youma-lingua) - _younger brother

_Caduceus_ _(Latin)_ - wand

_Ketsuguis-kyfra (youma-lingua) - _blood-brother


	53. Chapter 53

_**Chapter 50: The Secrets of Slytherin**_

The trio had spent nearly the entire class period looking for the other specters that haunted the ancient castle. And although Neville and Hermione had pointed out the spirits they saw, Harry still did not see them nor did he feel the tell-tale chilly paralysis when Peeves had supposedly ghosted through the raven-haired half demon. And _that_ startled his two packmates. Never before had either of the Gryffindors heard of a person, magical or Muggle, _not _being affected by a ghost's paralysis, the phantom chill that settles into one's very soul. If Harry did not feel the chill that meant one of two things… first, the raven-haired wizard was dead or second, the so-called ghosts did not truly exist.

They eventually hid themselves in an abandon room when they heard the bell ring, and they began to come up with theories as to why Harry could not see the ghosts of Hogwarts. It was then the dark-haired teen remembered that there was one apparition that he could see and had spoken to as well.

"Who?" Hermione asked.

"Sir Edwin de Prince." Harry answered, "In fact, he was the one who told me that Gryffindor's sword was mine by _Ritus Blod_ and that the sword was actually a wand…"

"Who's Sir Edwin de Prince?" Neville and Hermione asked as one, causing green orbs to blink.

"Uhm… didn't I tell you?" The half demon stuttered with a sheepish grin on his face.

"NO!" The pair shouted, causing the Mageling's ears to lay back, and before he could defend himself, the room echoed with a deep bemused chuckle.

"Well, Young One, it would seem that ye have stirred a bit of excitement with in these great and ancient walls."

Harry snapped around and stared at the familiar Moor, who just stood before the three of them with a pleased expression.

"Sir Edwin." Harry greeted as he smoothly preformed the same elaborate bow that the specter had performed when they first meet.

The spirit's dark eyes lit up in delight as he returned the greeting to the young demon Lord.

"_**Salazar Slytherin!**_" A sudden gasp startled the ghost and half demon. The former's expression became closed off, leaving only an unreadable mask, while the latter just stared at his sister and brother in confusion.

"Mina?"

"You… You're Salazar Slytherin! One of the Four Founders!" She exclaimed, her tone a mix of awe - seeing one of the greatest wizards in the Wizarding World's history - and confusion - curious at what her _ot'frat_ had called the spirit.

"Bloody hell…" Neville whispered as he stared at the apparition and could not help but get a sense of familiarity. It was as if the brunette had seen that particular unreadable mask before but where…

"Sir Edwin?" Harry questioned.

The spirit looked at the young Mageling and saw confusion coloring the teen's expression. The ancient phantom closed his eyes before slowly opening them again.

"I am," He began, "Sir Edwin de Prince, born Salazar Slytherin, bastard son of Baron Lorenzo de Prince and Fatima of Acre."

The silence that coated the room was thick and spellbinding and then… it was broken.

"_**Holy shit!**_"

"HARRY!" Hermione cried scandalously at Harry's swearing while Neville just chuckled at his Lead-brother's exclamation, and Sir Edwin just arched his brow, which startled the timid brunette into giving his own exclamation of shock when he realized where he had seen that unreadable mask before...

"Holy shit! Snape!"

"Hunh?!"

"What?!" Harry and Hermione stated over each other.

While Hermione looked at her _ketsuguis-kyfra_ in confusion, Harry looked around for his _nakam-cius_but did not find him.

Sir Edwin just kindly smiled.

"Impressive, Earthspeaker." The apparition complimented the quiet Earth-Wind Elemental before looking over at the green-eyed teen, who stared at the phantom oddly, "And ye be courting the last of my blood… did ye not see the truth? 'Tis not a good mark of a worthy suitor for the last of my blood…"

The words were barely uttered when the room filled with an unearthly stillness of a predator on a prowl, followed by a deep rumbling of a growl echoing like thunder against the walls.

Insecurities stemmed from years of abuse at the hands of the Dursley had reared their ugly heads. The teen mentally stomped away their nasty voices, whispering painful lies into his heart that his Dark One would never return his affections and of another stealing his Slytherin from him. _**/NO! Mine!/**_ Harry and his Inner Beast snarled as one.

The Shadows suddenly came alive and began dancing around the Shadow Hound, awaiting the word to strike down the threat.

The spirit's eyes suddenly grew wide when he felt the tendrils of the Shadows wrap around him… slowly crawling on his person like wild climbing vines… as if he was of mortal flesh and blood again… slowly the Shadows bound his arms to his side and pulled him down to his knees.

Sir Edwin looked up and stared into a pair of glowing Elysian emerald green fires of an enraged Cwn Annwn.

The young demon Lord stalked toward his prey that threaten to keep him from his Mate. His Inner Beast roared for the insolent shade's banishment from the mortal Plane. As the Shadow Hound bared down on the kneeling phantom, the dark-haired teen's tribal markings glowed a beautiful shade of blackish-purple and danced against his tanned flesh.

In the background, Hermione and Neville just watched on, having absolute faith that their Alpha's powers would never harm them. And as they watched, they found themselves in awe of their Lead's abilities. Neither of them seen nor heard of anyone being able to bind a spirit as one would bound a human, and yet Harry was doing just that. It suddenly became apparent to them that there was much more to being a Shadow Hound than they had originally thought.

"Nev-ill…"

Neville turned around to find the rest of their Pack standing in the doorway, watching the unusual confrontation between the dead and the demon.

"Is that a ghost that Harry has bound?" Ginny asked in surprise as she casually stood beside the two older Gryffindors.

"Oh dear," Luna whispered as she made herself comfortable on a nearby desk and began kicking her legs back and forth, "what did the spirit do to enrage our Cwn Annwn?"

"Uhm…" Hermione started then looked at Neville, who stood close to Sirius and nuzzled against the hybrid's neck, "The ghost, who by the way is Salazar Slytherin, said something that sounded like Harry wasn't worthy of Professor Snape, who apparently is related to him… oh wow… Professor Snape is related to Slytherin!"

"What?! Really?!" Ginny gasped.

"… or perhaps I am wrong…" The famed Slytherin whispered, "Perhaps ye can protect him where I have failed…"

The statement was like bucket of ice being dumped on the young Mageling, but the teen still did not release his hold over the apparition.

"Protect him? Protect him from what? From whom?" Harry demanded calmly and coolly with a dangerous edge of his Inner Beast, causing Sir Edwin to slowly smile.

"What are you guys talking about?" Ginny asked when she saw the pair whispering to one another.

Emerald green eyes blinked as he looked over his shoulder.

"Gin? When did you get here?!"

"A few minutes ago… we felt your anger… as did Professor Snape, in fact, it's why we're here… he let us out of class to find you and calm you down… what's going on, Harry? Why aren't you in class?" The little redhead asked.

Raking his hand through his hair and with a dismissive wave, the demon Lord released the apparition from his binds but not without one final glower at the spirit, who slowly rose to his feet.

"Let's get comfortable… something tells me that this is going to take awhile." The green-eyed wizard ordered while the others transfigured the chair in the room into something more comfortable.

"Okay," Harry began with a deep breath, "first off, the reason why we're not in class is because I couldn't see Binns nor any other ghosts in Hogwarts - it would seem, with the exception of him."

The teen pointed to Sir Edwin, who frowned.

"I do not understand, Young One. The Echoes that walk these Halls, I can understand ye not seeing, but who is this Binns ye speak of?"

The only answer the specter received were a series of confused blinks and blank expressions from the wizard, witches and demons around him.

The group looked to Harry. It was obvious that they had questions - lots of questions -, but they knew that if they start asking them then they would easily be following a rabbit-hole, leading them to nowhere near their current situation.

"Binns is the Professor of History of Magic and a ghost…" Harry began before arching a brow at the disbelieving expression on Sir Edwin's face, "Rumor has it that he died while lecturing; however, he did not realize that he was dead and just kept on lecturing… he's also quite fond of the Goblin Wars."

"Oh Allah, give me strength…" The spirit whispered as he rubbed his hand over his face, "If this Binns was truly a Soul then ye should see him, but as ye do not then it means that he is merely an Echo of what once was… and what son of a pig-herder thought it was a fine idea to have an _Echo_ teach? Least of all, teach the _history _of our people?"

Silence enveloped the classroom again, only to be broken by Luna's giggling which soon became infectious, and everyone began giggling or chuckling. While Sir Edwin scowled at the bemused Pack, Harry quickly sobered up.

"Apologies," The teen cleared his throat, "it's that 'son of a pig-herder' isn't a term used these days."

"Be that as it may," The spirit dismissed, "it does not answer the question."

"No, it doesn't, and really… no one knows." Harry confessed, "It happened, and the powers that be were lazy sods and lefts things as they were."

"Blah!" Sir Edwin scoffed.

"Lord Slytherin -"

"Sir Edwin." The specter interrupted Hermione, who blinked in confusion, "I prefer Sir Edwin, my dear."

"Oh…"

"About that." Harry growled, "Care to explain."

"That" the apparition sighed, "is a long tale and best for _all_ to hear."

The green-eyed wizard heard the ghost's underlining request. Sir Edwin wanted his last descendent to hear the tale, and Harry had his suspicions that his Mate will not take the news that there was an ancestor - an ancestor that Severus did not know existed - roaming the halls very well. _Oh yeah_, Harry thought, _this is going to go over really well, like a lead balloon_… _especially when he finds out that it's Slytherin he's descendent of…_

"You had a question, my dear." Sir Edwin directed the brunette Gryffindor witch.

"Oh! Yes!" Mina blushed a bit, "Uhm… You mentioned Echoes a couple of times. How come Harry can't see these 'Echoes', but he can see you?"

"Good question…" The ghost nodded, "Echoes are impressions of those that pass; may they be magical or mundane… Echoes are not the full extent of what once was. They are merely a flicker of the true whole… I am the true whole of what I once was."

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand…" Harry muttered and judging by his Pack's expression, neither did they. However, Luna had a thoughtful glint in her eyes.

"Luna?"

"Hmm?' She blinked then looked at her Alpha, "I may understand… an Echo is like a rough sketch of a portrait… an outline of a person… just lines… no depth to encompass every facets that makes a person uniquely them… but a portrait is the true whole, with depths in the form of color and shadows… correct?"

Sir Edwin smiled.

"Very good." He praised, "It is very similar to that."

"Okay, I get that," Neville stated, "But how come the Echoes here seem to act on their own, you know, like a 'true whole'?"

"Unlike mundane Echoes," The specter began, "the Echoes of a magical becomes the conduit for the lingering emotions that tied the Echo to a place, making them appear to be more like a true whole, but they are still Echoes and are bound to the place of their last breath or a place of meaning."

"Oh! Of course!" Hermione gasped, "It's like with anything else… the environment will influence the development of… well, everything!"

"And because an Echo is only a flicker, a rough sketch of the whole person, it develops into an entirely new personality over time!" Harry continued as he followed his blood-sister's train of thought.

"So that means," Ginny began, "the ghosts, or Echoes, here at Hogwarts could be entirely different in personality than they were in real life! I mean Peeves may not have been a malicious person in real life but became that way because of… whatever made him that way!"

"Wow…" Harry whispered, "That's heavy… but that doesn't explain _why_ I can't see them, but I can see you!"

"Ye be Cwn Annwn." Sir Edwin stated as if that was all the explanation needed.

"A Hound of the Underworld." Hermione interjected, "A Shadow Hound…" She trailed while looking at her _ot'frat_, who nodded, "True wholes are subject to the Underworld… the world of shadows as some ancient texts refer to it… these Echoes are not true whole; therefore, not subject to the Underworld, the world of shadows…"

Emerald green orbs blinked owlishly at his _an'sor_'s explanation.

"True wholes are shadows of what once was." The spirit whispered.

"Could I summon the dead?" Harry quietly whispered after a moment.

His Pack looked at him with immediate understanding as to why he asked such a question. The spirit, however, looked at the young half demon in concern.

"No, _that_ gift belongs to the Necromancers, and a gift that carries heavy consequences… I have seen Necromancers waste away from their cursed-gifts." The apparition stated.

"Maybe you're right… it's for the best… Don't want to waste away…" The Mageling whispered as he remembered the warnings about the Mirror of Erised. His eyes snapped opened when he felt the cool hand of Sir Edwin against his cheek.

"It is, Young One… and know this… only those, who are as I, are bound to ye, but ye must tread with care for as we are bound to ye, ye too be bound to us."

"Meaning?" Harry frowned.

"For those who are as I, we have not gained our place for a reason, and ye feel compelled to assist us on our way." The spirit answered.

"Something ties you to this place?!" Hermione questioned in horror.

"Aye, my dear," A forlorn smile graced the specter's handsome face, "I am tied to this world…"

The Pack looked upon the trapped soul in sorrow.

"How do we help you move on?" Harry asked, causing the others to nod and look on in keen interest.

"Now is not the time, Young One…" Sir Edwin dismissed the gesture and continued before the teen or the others could protest, "I am more concern of the fact that an Echo has been teaching ye young ones our history."

"Yeah… about that…" Harry mumbled.

"Can't you teach us?" Ginny asked, causing the spirit to look surprised, "I mean... you're one of the Founders. You have first hand accounts of what happened during your life time."

"Yes!" Hermione chirped, "Nothing really survived from that Era when you began construction of the castle!"

"What do you mean, child?" Sir Edwin frowned, "Was the Archives destroyed?"

"Archives?"

"What archives?" The Pack asked as one.

The apparition raised his hand, asking for silence which was freely given.

"After…" The specter paused and shuddered, "after the fire had destroyed much of the castle, the others and I decided it was best to keep records of all that has happened in an Archive that was away from the castle but still close at hand."

Harry closed his eyes as he realized which fire the spirit was speaking of. He too shuddered as he remembered the child, who had started the fire, was a whole Soul and not a flicker. The ancient child was bound to this world of the living because something still tied to him it, and the child-ghost would relive the last moments of his life over and over again until the end of time…

"Harry?" Hermione whispered as she placed a hand on his arm when she saw him shudder.

"It's nothing." The teen assured her, but judging her glances at him, Harry knew that she did not believe him. The young wizard then looked at the Slytherin Founder, "Will you teach us?"

Sir Edwin stared at the green-eyed wizard. His expression was unreadable. It was as if the spirit knew what had caused the half demon to shudder. _He probably does._ Harry thought.

"Yes," The specter answered, "I will teach ye what I know; however, I believe that it would be best if would also find the Archives."

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"The Archives would also have the tomes from the other Founders and from our first students." The apparition answered.

This caused the Pack to brighten at the prospect of a treasure hunt… a treasure hunt of the Founder's knowledge.

* * *

Translations:

_Ritus Blod (Latin) - _Rite of Blood

_Ot'frat (youma-lingua) -_ younger brother

_Ketsuguis-kyfra (youma-lingua) - _blood-brother

_An'sor (youma-lingua) - _older sister

_Nakam-cius (youma-lingua) - _Intended, prior to be officiated


	54. Chapter 54

_**Author's note, there is a section in this chapter that speaks about religion and its effects on people and history. It may offend some and annoy others, but I will not apologize for what I have written. What I have written are MY observations on religion, people and history. I did not write this section to open the proverbial can of worms nor to open a debate on theology. I added this section because I felt it was necessary to my piece. I have given you fair warning, and I hope that you continue to read **__**Harry Potter and the Pack of Shadows**__**. Enjoy!**_

_**-Azteka **_

_**Chapter 51: History the Path to Enlightenment and a Gift Received**_

It was early in the afternoon when the Pack ventured from what they have newly dubbed as their History classroom. They had spent majority of the morning with Sir Edwin learning what their world was like during his lifetime. They had even learned a bit of the world of the mundane - as Sir Edwin preferred to call the non-magical folk - , which confused Neville and Ginny. The two magical-raised witch and wizard had asked the Founder why they were learning about mundane history. Sir Edwin frowned slightly but patiently explained that during his lifetime and the lifetime of the other Founders, the magical-folk and the mundane-folk lived side-by-side. There was no separation… the people of Briton could _not_ afford to separate themselves as they were constantly invaded by foreigners… first, the Northmen and later the Danes.

He also explained that if the Pack truly wished to understand the Founders, they must first understand the Founders' world as the Founders knew it. Even the spirit's own perception of the world differed that from his friends… after all he was the bastard son of an exiled Briton Baron and a Muslim Handmaiden. Not even Godric, who was also a bastard son, could compare to Slytherin's experiences.

The Pack stared at the apparition in awe and devoured the phantom's tales as if it was the richest feast before them. But soon it was time for them to leave their impromptu sanctuary and rejoin the rest of the student population when _**The**_ questioned was asked…

Why was Slytherin selective of who was taught the art of magik?

Sir Edwin was silent for a moment before leveling a heavy gaze on Harry, who immediately stilled. The dead and the demon locked gaze when suddenly the ancient spirit's sorrow and guilt consumed Harry's sense of self and the memory of the ghost-child in the hidden chambers came to the foreground of the half-demon's mind. Sir Edwin broke his gaze, freeing Harry from the strange empathic-trance.

"That is a lesson for next we meet." Sir Edwin quietly said, "For now, it is best for ye to return to yer other lessons."

While disappointed at the lack of answer, the Pack nonetheless complied and left in excitement, but Harry remained behind for a moment and watched Sir Edwin, who looked lost in a painful memory… a painful memory that Harry suspected had to deal with the ghost-child…

"What's his name?" The teen asked.

"Hmm…?"

"The kid who started the fire."

"The boy Godric found…" Sir Edwin slowly began as he came out from the memory that haunted him, "The boy was given to the clergy by his family to be cured of his gift. He was at the monastery for two winter seasons 'fore Godric brought him here… I immediately saw the dangers the child posed, but Godric…" The ancient specter paused for a brief moment with a fond smile as he thought of his blood-brother, "despite his hands being bloodier than mine, he still possessed an innocence and naivety… he could not believe a child would… could be a threat…"

The air was heavy between the phantom and the Shadow Hound.

"The boy was Simon… Simon of Wessex." Sir Edwin finally answered.

"He's still down there, you know."

"Yes." The spirit sighed and began to fade from sight, "It is best ye return to yer family before they return for ye."

"Okay," Harry quietly whispered. He did not know what else to say to the apparition without sounding lame to his own ears.

* * *

Walking with his Pack to the Great Hall for lunch, the half-demon Lord felt Luna loop her arm around his own, causing emerald green orbs to peer down at his pale _Shiv'n_.

"So much history unknown to us…" She whispered loud enough for the Pack to hear, "was it deliberate or was it laziness that we have become so blind and so ignorant to everything around us."

"Dunno, Luna," Mina answered, "but while I'm thinking about it, I can see now why certain things are they the way are in the Wizarding World… Especially if I'm right about why Lord Sly- I mean Sir Edwin… why Sir Edwin was cautious about which students were allowed into Hogwarts."

Harry could not help but have a devil-may-care grin on his face. His _an'sor_ was the cleverest witch of their generation after all. He knew that she would have figured out the truth, and of course, it did help that she was muggleborn. For once being muggleborn was an advantage to his _an'sor_, especially since she would have received the basics of Britain's history in Primary School.

"What do you mean?" Neville asked.

"Christianity had gained a foothold in Britain about the 3rd Century, but there was still pockets of the old faith up until the 10th Century…" Hermione blinked then looked at Harry, "Up until the Era of the Founders."

"Yeah, I was thinking about the same." The Mageling replied.

"Christianity?" Ginny asked with furrowed brows.

"What's that?" Neville asked as the Pack sat down at the Ravenclaw table.

Since the little Pack formed, they would sit together at either the table of Lions or the table of Raven. And since Luna had looped her arm around Harry's, the tiny aloof witch just guided them to her former House's table. Already sitting at the table was a group of First and Second-Year younglings as well as one or two Seven-Years.

"It's one of three major religions of the world." Hermione began explaining. "There's Christianity, Judaism and Islam… each religion is monotheistic."

"Mono-what?" Neville asked unaware that the other Ravens had turned to listen to the brunette witch.

"It means a belief in one God versus a belief of many." Harry continued, "It's a belief that one God creates, rules, reveals, loves, judges, punishes and forgives. In Christianity, it's a religion based on atonement for the original sin through the faith of Jesus Christ as the Savior."

This caused those around the Pack and the Pack itself to blink in confusion.

"How does one get atonement through this man?" Ginny curiously asked which caused Harry to laugh but Hermione to look slightly uncomfortable. Even among mug - mundane, one had to be careful on what one would say in regards to religion. You could be speaking freely of your faith and beliefs with an open-minded person, or a person who is of like mind and faith, or individual with an academic's curiosity, or… You could find yourself facing with an individual, who has twisted and darkened their faith and belief to suit their own needs and justify their actions…

"Uhm… well, it's more like following the teachings of Jesus Christ… being a good person, treat others how you want to be treated… compassion, humility and benevolence." The brunette witch tried to explain, "But it's much more than that as well."

To this, Harry snorted.

"Leave it to people to complicate things." The dark-haired teen grumbled.

"Well, it doesn't sound so bad." Neville hesitantly stated, "I mean it sounds similar to the Old Ways of Magik so why would this Christianity be a problem?"

"Because the Church deemed Magik as a source of evil… the power of the Devil, and anyone believed to be using magik is condemned to Hell." Harry replied.

"What? Why?" Ginny asked.

"Magik is a Gift… given to us by the Mother Herself." Luna whispered in confusion.

The green-eyed wizard shrugged but continued nonetheless, "The early Christians were ruled by men… power hungry men, who twisted the teachings of a Pacifist to suit their needs… to include persecuting individuals who were not like them…"

"Harry!" Hermione gasped in shock to hear such cynicism in her _ketsuguis-kyfra_.

"Sorry, Mina," The teen apologized, "I didn't mean to belittle your faith… it's just…"

"I understand, Harry. Believe me, I understand." She said as she rested her head on her Alpha's shoulder. The brunette witch looked at the others and noticed the bewildered and confused expression on their faces, which caused the Gryffindor brunette to sigh.

"Religion and politics cause more headaches and heartache…" She sadly stated.

"And it's worse when people are too blinded and too stupid to think for themselves and just accept whatever garbage that self-righteous leaders are spouting." Harry retorted.

"Harry…" Hermione admonished her Lead but continued nonetheless, "And sadly you are right, but to answer your question, Neville, the early Christians were taught to believe that magik was evil, the work of the devil, and must be destroyed in order to cleanse a person's soul. And in reality, the witch hunts of the 13th and the 16th centuries were the persecution of individuals who thought and lived outside the doctrine of the Church… there was maybe one or two witch hunts victims that _were_ actual witches and wizards… the majority of the victims were Mug- Mundanes."

"Wait…" One of the Seven-Year Ravenclaw interjected, "What's a mundane? And do you mean the witch hunts weren't really about the Muggles trying to kill us?"

Harry frowned.

"A Mundane is our preferred way to describe a non-magical person." Harry stated, not wanting to reveal that the term 'mundane' was actually Slytherin's - Sir Edwin's - preferred term to describe a non-magical person. The raven-haired teen continued, "And while it is true that a few actual witches and wizards died from the witch hunts, I wouldn't say that if the mundane-folk _had _known about us, they wouldn't have tried killing us… especially in that time frame… and maybe nowadays too but… really, it's human nature to fear what we don't understand, and it's that fear which was used as weapon to persecute anyone who did not conform to the ideals of those in power." _Kinda what is happening right now between the purebloods and everyone else. _The teen thought and was a little surprised to see the proverbial light bulb turning on in the unknown teen's eyes.

"How do you know this stuff?" One of the younglings asked, which caused the older muggleborn and Muggle-raised teens to frown. However, before either could answer…

"It's part of Muggle History, which you should be learning in Muggle Studies." A cool voice replied while Harry breathed in a lungful of the scent of orange flowers.

"Professor Snape." Harry purred as he stared at his _nakam-cius_, who was watching him coolly.

"Potter." The Potions Master drawled as his dark eyes scanned the younger man for injuries, ignoring the slight bemused and knowing grin on the youth's face. With the barest of nods, Severus was pleased to note that whatever had angered the teen had not left a mark on the green-eyed wizard.

The older man sighed as he knew what happened next would anger the teen… again. _Like poking at a hornet's nest…_ The Slytherin professor thought.

Suddenly emerald orbs narrowed when he heard his Mate's heavy sigh.

"What has he done now?" Harry growled out, causing the corners of Severus' lips to twitch ever so slightly upward.

Reaching inside his robes, the Potions Master pulled out a simply brown-wrapped package. Elysian green gems flickered down to the package before returning his gaze to the dark wizard's own obsidian orbs.

"When did it arrived?" The teen questioned, but Severus could hear the barely contain rage in the teen's voice.

Immediately his Pack converged onto the raven-haired wizard, using their presence to ground the volatile half-demon. The other students, however, immediately gave the small family a wide berth as if a primal side of their brain became aware of an unknown danger in their midst.

"The day after." The Slytherin Head of House answered, knowing that the teen would understand that his package had arrived just the day after his re-appearance.

Harry snarled.

The half demon immediately recognized the familiar wild and burning hot tendrils of Thespeus the Blacksmith's demonic aura when Severus had presented the package to him, and he knew right away that the package contained Luna's Limiter to help her control her Third Eye. The demon Lord can feel his hackles rise at the thought of the decaying Headmaster tainting Luna's gift.

"He couldn't open it." The cool voice of the teen's Mate soothed the hot fire in the Shadow Hound's veins, which helped clear Harry's head enough for him to remember that Master Craftsmen in _Ma-Terrarum_ would use a protective seal on all of their Commissions to prevent tampering and theft. The seal allowed only the individual who purchased the Commission to open it; something to do with sensing a demon's unique aura.

"He tried but didn't succeed." Severus, arching a brow at his Brat's sudden feral grin, continued as he pulled out a letter, "Nor could he translate this."

Harry took the letter in hand with a casual glance at the script and recognized Thespeus' shaky handwriting. A black brow arched as he looked at his _nakam-cius_, knowing that the dark wizard could have easily used a charm to translate the letter. After all the older man had done it with the Marauder's Map, which ended up being written in demonic script.

"He didn't make you do it?" The teen curiously asked

"Foolish brat." There was a hidden undertone of affection in Severus' voice, "If the Headmaster could not use a simple _Proto-Romance _translation charm, what makes you think I could?"

"Of course, how foolish of me." Harry replied while maintaining a straight face as he realized what his Mate was saying… The Headmaster had believed that Thespeus' letter was written in some Romance-based language…

The Pack too had to hide their expressions and muffle their giggles. They knew. Of course, they knew the truth of the language written in the letter, and they also knew that their other Alpha could have easily used the _Babel_ translation charm, which apparently translated _all_ languages.

"But I am curious as to how he got his hands on my mail." Harry purred darkly and dangerously. Severus had to suppress the shiver that coursed down his spine and stomp out the sudden pool of warmth that had settled in his middle when he heard his Brat's purr.

After he felt certain he had regained enough of his composure, the dark wizard leaned forward. To the casual outside observer, it would appear that the Slytherin was about to throttle the infamous Gryffindor. But the Pack knew that the older man would never harm their demon Lord.

"Why in the same manner he has always intercepted your's and everyone else's mail."

Severus then stood up and watched in fascination as flecks of ruby-red and molten-gold began to dance within the Elysian green fields of the teen's eyes.

The ground beneath the Slytherin's feet trembled in response to the teen's second wave of anger as well as the air around them became thick, hot and heavy… very much like a summer's day in a desert.

"Excuse me, Sir, but it would seem that I have lost my appetite." Harry's voice was devoid of emotions, and from the corner of Severus' eyes, he saw movement.

The dark wizard saw the Shadows move!

It was not the first time he had seen the Shadows move, but to see them move in accordance to his Brat's emotions… Severus was no fool. He could put the proverbial 'two-plus-two' together, and right now, the Potions Master was easily putting together 'angry Harry' plus 'moving Shadows' equals to Harry controlling the Shadows… but how was the real question, and unfortunately it was a question that was not going to be answered any time soon as the teen in question and his makeshift family left the Great Hall.

Severus just simply watched them go and the Shadows, trailing behind them, protecting them as they retreated for now. The dark wizard could feel his master's hateful gaze on his back. The ancient wizard had truly lost his mind if he expected the teen to open the package right there and then. The Slytherin knew that Harry was too cautious to open anything personal amongst prying eyes, especially the old man's prying eyes. With a last look over his shoulder, obsidian gems glanced at his master, who sat in the middle of the Head Table, looking over all that the ancient wizard saw as his domain. Quietly the Potions Master turned away and walked out of the Great Hall; however, not before he caught the sight of the Mysterious One, the ancient spirit that no one - not even the other ghosts of the castle - knew of.

For a brief moment Severus' and the Mysterious One's eyes locked gaze then the spirit gave the dark wizard a rueful smile and began to fade away, and Severus continued on his way to prep for his afternoon classes.

* * *

Translations:

_Shiv'n (youma-lingua) - _Chosen Childe of Shiv

_An'sor (youma-lingua) - _older sister

_Ketsuguis-kyfra (youma-lingua) - _blood-brother

_Nakam-cius (youma-lingua) - _Intended, mate prior to being officiated

_Ma-Terrarum (youma-lingua) - _Demon Realm


	55. Chapter 55

_**Chapter 52: Luna's Limiter**_

The Pack shadow-walked from the castle grounds to the Grotto and immediately settled themselves around the roaring hearth. Once settled the small family found themselves enjoying an assortment of fruit, meats, breads and cheeses as well as warm drinks that had miraculously appeared. Harry absently wondered if Dobby was taking care of his Pack's meals, and if so then the dark-haired teen made a mental note to thank his littlest friend.

While watching his Pack eat and chatting amongst themselves, Harry opened the letter from the Minotaur-like demon and found himself smiling fondly at the blacksmith's words. The kind _youm'_ had apologized for the lateness of the Commission.

It had taken the demon craftsman awhile, as he explained in his letter, to find the perfect materials for the _Shiv'n_'s Limiter. The blacksmith had grumbled that none of the usual metals had worked well with Luna's blood, and Harry could only imagine the number of explosions that the gentle giant had to deal with. After all, the raven-haired teen remembered the nearly over several hundred explosions that the gentle bull-like demon had to endure just to find the compatible metals and materials for the demon Lord's own Limiters. But Thespeus eventually was able to find the perfect metals and materials for Luna's Limiter. The metal that the bull demon had found was something akin to the silkworms from the _nin-nus_ world. But instead of using the silken material for clothing, the _Ma-Terrarum_ master Craftsmen have used the material in the past for light armor. Apparently, demon silk - once woven - was protective as _nin-nus _body armor but light and moveable as clothing.

But in case of Luna's Limiter, Thespeus used the unique silky, durable and light material to make a Limiter. Apparently such a thing was unheard of… well, at least, according to the Minotaur-like _youm'_ it was.

Harry found himself pleased with his Blacksmith's accomplishments and ingenuity, and he had no doubt that Luna's Limiter would be a work of art.

"Luna." Harry called.

"Hm?" She murmured before approaching her Lead and kneeling beside him.

"For you." He stated as he presented his gift to her.

The Grotto fell silent as the Pack watched their _ketsuguis-shisorn_ unwrap her gift.

Slowly the simple brown wrapping peeled away to reveal an even more simple wooden box with a beautiful inlaid of a stylized hammer. The inlaid was made of silver. The hammer's grip had the image of what appeared to be bearded man's face. It looked like a beard man, but Luna notice what looked to be ram's horns curled on either side of the man's face. The man's beard then came down the hammer's handle in a series of braided knots, similar to the Celtic knots of ancient Briton, and on the hammer's head was a circle interwoven with the sign of infinity. The design was simple and yet Luna could not help but marvel at the beauty of such simplicity. She did not know what that the hammer design meant, and whenLuna's slender fingers gently caressed the inlaid, she felt a warm aura course through her fingers and her body. She was unaware at how her shoulders relaxed a bit from an unknown held tension as the comforting aura enveloped her.

"Harry?" Luna looked up at her Lead.

While she may not have noticed the tension leaving her frame, Harry and Sirius most certainly did notice. Red and Green gems sought one another. The two demons shared an amused grin, and each began to formulate a plan on how to introduced their blacksmith to their _Shiv'n_.

"Hmm?"

"What does this hammer mean?" She asked.

Harry looked at the box.

"The hammer is the traditional symbol for _H'phstuse, _the demon God of Blacksmiths." Harry began, "All master blacksmiths uses the hammer as their trademark, but the design on the hammer's head differ from blacksmith to blacksmith… This design belongs to Thespeus. He's a kind and gentle demon."

Luna nodded her head. Yes, she could tell that this Thespeus was kind and gentle from his aura. She slowly opened the box and let out a sharp gasp.

Immediately the others crowded around their sister, and they too let out an exclamation of awe.

Harry himself then peered down into the box, and his brows disappeared into his hairline. The half demon had expected the Limiter to be beautiful and a work of art but this…! The dark-haired teen doubted that Thespeus would be able to craft anything that could surpass the beauty and masterfully done craftsmanship of Luna's Limiter.

The Limiter was a beautiful circlet. The main body of the circlet was four thinly braided gold-silk threads interwoven together with the front portion of the circlet having another set of four gold-silk threads. These four gold-silk thread created a subtle wave around the main body before dipping low, creating a large enough gap for Luna's Third Eye. The circlet was designed to encircle her Third Eye. On either side of the circlet, a pair of Black Opals dangled and hanging from the center of the entire circlet was a beautiful Water Opal that reflected a hypnotic display of bluish-gold sheen in the sunlight.

"Put it on!" Hermione and Ginny both gushed, causing the normally aloof witch to brightly blush.

Slowly and with complete reverence for the circlet, Luna removed her Limiter from the box and was surprised at how light the gift was in her hands. She gently placed the cool jewelry on her head and instantly let out a gasp of shock. The moment the Limiter was placed on her head she felt the earlier warmth of Thespeus' aura envelop her once more and fill her with confidence and a sense of control that she had never experienced before. She felt calmer and lighter. The persistent tension and dull throbbing that usually echoed in time with her heartbeat had disappeared. She felt… free!

Suddenly the little witch was on her feet. Her head thrown back in laughter as she began to dance and twirl to a song that only she could hear. Her joy was unbridle and infectious. She was soon after joined by the rest of her family in her tuneless dance while Harry and Sirius merely watched from the shadows.

* * *

Translations:

_Youm' (youma-lingua) -_ Demon

_Shiv'n (youma-lingua) - _Chosen Childe of Shiv

_Nin-nus (youma-lingua) - _human

_Ma-Terrarum (youma-lingua) - _Demon Realm

_Ketsuguis-shisorn (youma-lingua) - _Blood-sister

_H'phstuse (youma-lingua) - _Demonic God of Blacksmiths


	56. Chapter 56

_**Chapter 53: Time to Rock the Boat**_

It did not take long for things to return to normal… well, as normal as one would expect for the little Pack of Shadows. They continued with their lessons - both from the Hogwarts' professors and from Sir Edwin, who upon seeing Luna wearing her Limiter had a thoughtful and faraway look that he refused to explain when asked by the Pack -, and they usually kept to themselves… save for whenever one of the other students would approach them with a question or two. It came as a surprise to Harry when he finally and truly noticed that some students - a small few - from the all of the Houses baring the Mark of the Cwn Annwn, as Luna had called the simple knot. The half-demon could sense his Inner Beast stirring whenever he saw the Cwn Annwn signet. It was as if his demonic half was acknowledging those baring his mark were his and under his protection…

At first, the teen did not really think much of it. He had thought that the other students wearing the Celtic Dog knot were doing so as a trend… because they had thought it looked cool. He had seen it happen before while in Primary School. But he quickly changed his mind when he saw his Pack interacting with those baring the mark.

The young Alpha watched as his little family would teach and/or guide these mark-bearers to think for themselves and not accept the Headmaster's nor the Ministries version of how things were and should be, which oddly gave the young wizard a comforting sense of hope for the future of the Wizarding world…

As the Shadow Hound walked down the castle's corridor to his next class, he had light smile on his face as he remembered what happened earlier that morning in Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class… an example of the new future.

On either side of him, Hermione and Neville gave their Alpha a knowing smile before continuing on with their own discussion on some spell that the raven-haired teen did not catch. The green-eyed wizard continued to mentally replayed the old crone's face when a Ravenclaw classmate questioned the ancient hag as to _why_ the incantation was designed the way it was, and what purpose did it serve. The older witch did answer the question with nonsense that the spell had always been used with the approval of the Ministry of 1947 and Wizengamot of 1948, which then lead to a discussion of why that particular spell versus another spell that worked just as well, which the Raven had found in an old spell book that belonged to his grandmother when she was in school during the 1920's.

The Gryffindor Head of House had looked as if she had swallowed a whole lemon when she demanded that young wizard to demonstrate the so-called better spell. The Raven did as instructed, and it was quickly discovered that the so-called better spell was in fact better and easier to cast. This caused a new level of excitement in the students, and the old crone had tried to get the class back under her control and follow _her_ lesson plan when suddenly she began taking House Points from the Ravens… even a few from her own house…

Harry let out a quiet chuckle at the memory when suddenly the corridors echoed with shouts and spell casting.

Without a second thought, the half demon rushed toward the source of the shouting. He knew that his packmates would follow him.

The dark-haired teen skidded to a halt with his hand on the hilt of his _caduceus_.

His emerald green orbs narrowed as he observed the situation before him.

Clustered together were a couple of Ravens that Harry recognized from his morning Transfiguration class as well as a few Hufflepuffs, all of whom wore the Cwn Annwn mark. One of the Ravenclaw students, clutching his arm, was on the ground while a Badger was coughing up slugs against the far wall. With two of the group injured, another Raven - the Raven from the Transfiguration class - was trying to get a fourth wizard, who stood protectively in front of the them, to ignore the jeering and taunting Lions. And the wizard standing protectively in front of the Ravens and Badgers was a Slytherin… Gregory Goyle, to be exact.

The larger wizard stood with his wand at the ready and stared down a small group of Gryffindors, being lead by Ron Weasley and Dean Thomas.

Hermione immediately went to the Badger's side and cast the counter spell to the slug-vomiting curse, and Neville checked on the injured Raven. And all the while, Harry casually walked beside the Slytherin's side with his eyes never wavering from the mangy lion.

"Goyle." The teen calmly greeted his year mate.

"Potter." The bigger wizard replied as he subconsciously shifted his body to protect the Raven wizard on his other side. Even though the larger Slytherin knew that the lithe-framed Gryffindor was an ally, Gregory still felt a bit wary of the smaller wizard, especially since the one he was truly trying to protect was by his side… his boyfriend.

"So what's going on here?" Harry calmly asked as he relaxed his posture, showing them that he did not belief the Lions to be a major threat.

"This doesn't concern you, Potter." Ron sneered.

A black brow arched but waited for an answer.

"Weasley attacked Stephenson." Goyle honestly answered.

"Hm." The dark haired teen murmured in acknowledgement to what the Slytherin had said.

"Shut it! Snake!" Dean bellowed then leveled a glower on Harry, "You traitor, how would you just let this slide?!"

Again Harry arched a brow.

"Let what slide?"

"That birdbrain humiliated our Head of House! And in her class no less!" Thomas accusingly pointed at the Raven, standing next the Goyle.

At this Goyle blinked in confusion as he looked at Stephenson then at Potter, who had a small smirk gracing his face.

"I would think that she humiliated herself by reacting as she did." Harry's tone was casual as he just simply shrugged.

"That's just stupid! We don't need to know a new spell when the old one is just fine!" Ron snapped, "I don't know what you're playing at, Potter, but all this is your fault! I know it!"

"My fault?" Harry genuinely surprised by the blame. "And what exactly is my fault?"

"That stupid symbol, the questions and making friends with those damned snakes!" The redhead snarled, "What are you trying to do?!"

Harry just frowned then looked over at Goyle, who was just surprised by the accusation. Of all the strange and ridiculous things to accuse the Boy-Who-Lived of, the Weasel took offense to a symbol and people asking intelligent questions to better themselves was not something that Goyle would have expected.

"Do you know what he's talking about?" Harry asked the larger wizard, who shrugged.

"I'm not sure." Gregory replied.

"And vat iz diz…?" An oily voice cooed, causing the students to look up at the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

"Professor!" Ron and Dean cried while the others become quiet.

Gregory glanced over at the green-eyed wizard, whose eyes narrowed with a low and barely audible growl emanating from the Gryffindor teen.

"They attacked us! And humiliated Professor McGonagall!" Ron took the lead in throwing baseless accusations around.

The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs gave a sound of protest but were quickly quieted by Hermione and Neville. Goyle looked at Harry, ready to follow the dark-haired teen's lead.

Professor Chauvelin stared at Harry with his dead dark eyes and an empty smile.

"Vell, vell… diz iz not good for ju, non?" The DADA professor murmured, "Vat do ju have to zay about dis?"

"Nothing since you've already made up your mind before learning both sides." Harry replied as he noted how the Frenchman immediately went to Ron and Dean's side. To the young dog-demon that spoke volumes of the oily professor's intentions.

"Ju have zome cheek, mon gracon." Chauvelin's eyes narrowed before smiling his empty smile again, "And yet, ju speak ze truth…"

Ron and Dean beamed at the Professor's exclamation while the others looked on in horrified confusion. Did the professor openly admitted to knowing that Ron and Dead had lied? And that he was _not _going to do a thing about it?

The DADA professor then drew his wand out, causing the students to tense up.

"But vat iz de point of de truth if ju cannot remember it?"

"Don't you even think about it, Chauvelin." Harry grunted. His hand rested on the hilt of his _caduceus_.

"Iz dat a threat, Monsieur Potter?" The professor smiled sickly.

While the so-called Demon Hunter and the demon Lord held their battle of wills, Hermione and Neville quickly and quietly evacuated the Ravens and Badgers out of the area; however, not before Ron and Dean cried out for them to stop. The pair pulled out their wands and cast a few spells, but their spells bounced off a shield of a pale blue color interlaced with purplish-black swirls, creating hypnotic tribal markings.

Chauvelin's beady black eyes narrowed, not on the teen but on the shield, as he subconsciously clutched his fist around a gold ring on his finger as it burned his flesh. Suddenly his eyes widened as he snapped his attention on the teen, whose expression remained blank and unreadable.

"_**Demon!**_" The DADA professor quietly hissed as his face contorted into an ugly mask of pure hatred.

The oily man raised his wand high, which began to glow a shade of green that nearly matched his eyes.

Harry remained still.

"AVA-"

"POTTER!" A familiar voice bellowed and echoed throughout the corridor, halting the Frenchman's spell casting.

The strong steady gait of the Potions Master thundered throughout the stone hallway. As Severus approached the protected students, the _Protego_ spell vanished into a wisp of smoke. The students instinctively gathered behind the formidable Slytherin Head of House as he came to stand next to his Gryffindor student. The dark wizard had his arms crossed, and all the while, he looked readily to kill the green-eyed wizard with his bare hands. But Harry knew better.

The half demon knew that his _nakam-cius_was also paying close attention to the DADA professor from the corner of his eye. It did not escape the younger wizard's notice that the oily _yathus_ had uttered the first few syllables of the Killing Curse, and of course, the teen did not miss the faint hiss of the word 'demon' slipping pass the Frenchman's lips either. _Does he know? How did he know?_ The Shadow Hound frantically thought while keeping a calm and nonchalant demeanor.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Snape demanded, causing his Brat to look at him as those green eyes kept flickering back to Chauvelin.

"Potter!" Severus snapped again. He knew that the younger wizard felt that the DADA professor posed a bigger threat than himself. It did not take a genius to read the teen's body language, but he needed the youth to keep his focus on the Potions Master so that the dark wizard could get Harry and the others out of this mess without further incident. Severus just needed the teen to play along.

"My apologies, Professor Snape," Harry gave his _nakam-cius _a slight bow of his head, "it would seem that Chauvelin and I were having a disagreement."

"A disagreement?" Severus hissed then he looked over to the Frenchman, who remained quiet and looked murderously toward the Gryffindor. "A disagreement that made you late to _my _class?!"

Harry blinked at his Mate's hiss. The teen was certain that he still had time before he would be considered late then again if his Slytherin wanted to use this as an excuse to get him and the others out of there then he was not going to complain. The green-eyed teen bowed his head again.

"Again my apologies-"

"I'm sick and tried of this!" The dark wizard snarled as he stepped forward and grabbed the teen's arm.

For a brief moment, Severus felt the hair on his neck to raise when he locked gaze with his Brat. The teen's eyes flashed dangerously while a very quiet rumble vibrated from the youth. The Potions Master mentally kicked himself as he remembered the Gryffindor's Bitten behavior.

By grabbing the younger man the way he did, Severus had unintentionally set a challenge for dominance… a challenge, judging by the teen's eyes and the low rumbling the green-eye wizard had accepted. While the soldier in the Potions Master would have been fascinated to see what the teen would do, he knew this was neither the place nor the time for that indulgence.

For now, Severus lowered his eyes and subtly exposed his throat to the younger wizard, who calmed down a bit, but the dark wizard knew that his actions would be not ignored by the teen.

The moment his _nakam-cius _grabbed his arm, Harry felt his Inner Beast rise to the challenge, but a part of him knew that the corridor in front of an oily Frenchman, who tried to kill him, and Severus' students was not the place to show his dark wizard who was dominant. It took every bit of his self control to keep his Inner Beast from raising too close to the surface. Something must have shown in Harry's face because the teen watched as his Dark One give difference to him… not submission… **/**_**No, Severus never submits easily…/**_ Harry and his Inner Beast mentally purred. For the moment, the demon Lord allowed his _nakam-cius _to manhandle him out of the corridor.

"You think we'll kowtow to your every whims, Potter?!" Severus questioned, "Because of your complete and utter disregard to your fellow year mates, I had to look for you and caused me to re-adjust my lessons…"

While the Potions Master ranted and raved, the other students followed after the infamous pair. The Ravenclaw, who with injured arm, tried to protest the Slytherin professor's accusations but was quickly silenced by a firm hand on his good arm. When the Raven looked at who had stopped him, he was surprised to see Longbottom shake his head. Quickly the group turned the corner and gathered into the Potions classroom, where a single student looked up from his potions and looked wide-eyed at the odd group that had entered… and the one student was Draco.

As soon as the door closed behind them, and immediately Hermione, Neville and Goyle cast a variety of privacy charms about the classroom.

"Are you alright?" The Potions Master immediately turned to his Brat. The Slytherin immediately and intimately recognized the familiar Elysian green spell color of the Killing Curse that the Frenchman had begun to cast.

Bright Elysian emeralds peered into equally bright obsidian gems. Harry picked up the faint traces of fear coloring his _nakam-cius' _orange flower scent. Subconsciously the half demon let out a purr to calm his Mate, which worked as well as any Cheering Charm.

"Harry?" Hermione quietly called, causing the pair to be aware of their surroundings.

"Mina?"

"Did Professor Chauvelin -"

"It would seem so." The demon Lord interrupted his _an'sor_ before she could finish her question, which caused Neville to pale and Hermione to let out a sharp cry of horror.

"What? What happened?" The Ravens and the Badgers asked over each other.

Severus suddenly remembered himself and who else was with him. He pulled away from his Brat. He subconsciously crossed his arms across his chest and glared at the wizard teen, who only lightly smiled.

"Nothing to worry about." Harry remarked. He felt that there was no reason to alarm them with the fact that the DADA professor tried to kill him, "It'll probably be a good idea to have those two see Madame Pomfrey…"

"Oh…" Stephenson muttered in agreement as he looked at his injured friends.

"Mina, Neville, take them to the infirmary." Harry stated.

"No problem." Neville replied, "Come on, we'll get you fixed up in a jiffy."

As the room cleared out, only Severus, Harry, Goyle, Stephenson and surprisingly Draco remained behind after he spelled his potion to disappear. And for a second time, the door closed shut, and the earlier privacy charm were set back into place.

"So… By the way, what was that all about? With Weasley and his merry band of miscreants?" Harry finally asked after a few moments of awkward silence.

"Miscreants? Really, Potter, expanding your vocabulary? How refreshing…" The Potions Master drawled as he seated himself on his desk but kept an eye on his cheeky Brat.

"Impressed?" Was the teen's cheeky reply.

"Uhm…" Stephenson looked at the pair oddly then at Goyle, who subtly gave the Raven a nod.

"Uhm… well… we were just going to study hall when Weasley attacked us."

"Weasley attacked you?!" Professor Snape repeated then calmly said, "Twenty points from Gryffindor for attacking a fellow student."

The Raven stared at Potter, expecting the Gryffindor to protest but was surprised when the green-eyed wizard just looked at him.

"And what excuse did Mr. Weasley give for attacking you?" The Potions Master questioned with an arched brow, which caused Stephenson to flinch.

"Uhm…" Stephenson fidgeted under the Head of Slytherin's House's gaze, "Well, uhm… he felt that I humiliated Professor McGonagall when I asked her a question in class…"

"What question would that be?"

"I just asked why we're learning the _Funis-fascia_ charm versus the _Coagmento-fascia_ charm for repairing broken wood furniture…"

"And you somehow humiliated Professor McGonagall by asking this questioned?" Severus' tone reflected the absurdity that he felt about the situation at hand as he looked at the Raven in question, who sheepishly nodded.

"Yep, and somehow this is my fault…" Harry darkly grumbled, which caused his _nakam-cius _to look at him curiously.

"What madness have we descended into…" Severus softly whispered that only Harry's keen ears heard.

* * *

Translations:

_Caduceus (Latin) - _wand

_Protego_ _(Latin)_ - protect

_Nakam-cius (youma-lingua) - _Intended, prior to being officiated

_Yathus_ _(youma-lingua)_ - bastard

_An'sor (youma-lingua) - _older sister

_Coagmento-fascia (Latin) - _Glue together binding

_Funis-fascia (Latin) - _Rope binding

* * *

_**Stay tuned for the next chapters of Harry Potter and the Pack of Shadows coming June 1, 2014.**_


	57. Author's Note 2

To my dear readers,

Firstly, I want to apologize upfront for getting your hopes up and then cruelly dashing it.

As you have suspected, this, unfortunately, is not an update that you were hoping for.

Recently, my computer crashed, and I am currently getting it restored. With that being said, the crash caused me to lose all of my original drafts for _Bleach: A Breed Apart, CSI: Sentinel - Awakening_ and _Konoha no Yoko: Chuunin Exams_, and that means I have to re-type everything. Because of that, I do not think I will have everything typed and edited by December 1st, and on top of that, I am currently in the middle of a computer security course that has eaten a lot of my attention and focus.

Once I have my computer restored, I will continue as before, but this delay will also affect my working on _Pack of Shadows_ so at the moment I ask that you please be patient with me, and I will post any updates as soon as I have them completed.

Sincerely,

Azteka


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